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Tokyo Weekender

Tokyo's longest-running English lifestyle magazine, packed with food, travel, tips, city guides, news, interviews, and more.

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Featured Writers

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Patrick Kelly

I'm a writer, photographer, and editor based in Japan, that focuses on stories that explore culture, place, and the people who helped shape them. With several years of experience living …

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Naomi Schanen

Writing and documenting history.

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Gabrielle Doman

Japan-based freelance journalist, copywriter, PR and presenter who writes for content agencies, national newspapers, lifestyle magazines and online titles.In my 20-plus years of writing, I have worked in the UK, …

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Will Heath

Thank you for visiting my writing portfolio. Here you'll find writing about Japanese culture, world travel, and literature.My name is Will and I am a freelance writer specialising in literature, …

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Alice French

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Jess Esa | Freelance Writer and Editor

Born in the UK, I now live in Los Angeles. I'm a professional writer with over six years of experience writing engaging and informative content for various industries. This includes …

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Latest Articles

Strongirls Festival: Muscular Women Raising the Bar in Japan

Colorful balloons, a DJ spinning bops and the buzz of anticipation at Yokohama’s PRagmatic Academy on a public holiday in November: it looked like the setting for a lively party. Yet, despite appearances, it was the scene of Japan’s second Strongirls Strength Festival, a women’s powerlifting competition (known as a …
By Gabrielle Doman
• Tokyo Weekender

Studio Sedic: Yamagata's Hidden Hollywood

Yamagata Prefecture boasts endless mountain landscapes, an abundance of terraced rice fields, 70 percent of Japan’s annual cherry yield and not a lot else. Or so the humble rural idyll would have you believe. Look closer and you will find, in the mountains of Yamagata’s northern Shonai region, Japan’s best-kept …
By Alice French
• Tokyo Weekender

The Top 5 Shotengai Shopping Streets in Tokyo | Tokyo Weekender

If you truly want to experience Tokyo, or need to squeeze in some last-minute souvenir shopping before continuing your travels, consider spending a few hours in the city’s shotengai. Essentially meaning “shopping street,” the shotengai you’ll find here are diverse, ranging from pedestrian-filled streets with flashy signs and vendors loudly …
By Patrick Kelly
• Tokyo Weekender

Nothing Says Spring in Tokyo Like Vegan Sakura Burgers | Tokyo Weekender

Like an unseasonable snow fall, mounds of pink and white petals have already begun accumulating across the city, marking a sudden (though not unexpected) conclusion to Tokyo’s 2019 cherry blossom season. While things might be wrapping up throughout much of the Kanto region, further north incredible displays of sakura can …
By Patrick Kelly
• Tokyo Weekender

These Sakura-Themed Pretzels Pair Well with Spring – and Pink Glitter Beer | Tokyo Weekender

The coming of spring in Tokyo is an exciting season for many. The weather begins to gradually warm and then, what for months was just a grey backdrop, suddenly is filled with color as the city’s many cherry blossoms start to bloom. Tourists and locals alike gather to view the …
By Patrick Kelly
• Tokyo Weekender

Tried and Tested: Which Tokyo Konbini Sells the Tastiest Pizza-Man Steamed Buns? | Tokyo Weekender

Being a Chicagoan, pizza holds a special place in my heart. It’s a food that pretty much everyone can agree on and basically has become an icon of the city, which led to a never-ending debate with our culinary rival (ahem… NYC) over which city has the better pizza. I …
By Patrick Kelly
• Tokyo Weekender

A Herbivore’s Guide to 5 Must-Try Vegetarian Restaurants in Tokyo | Tokyo Weekender

Being a vegetarian (or vegan) isn’t that easy in Tokyo. In a country which basically is raised on… well, a lot of meat, from konbini-fried chicken and nikuman to more traditional favorites like pork-based ramen and sushi, you might begin to feel there’s nothing to eat besides egg sandwiches. These …
By Patrick Kelly
• Tokyo Weekender

10 Contemporary Japanese Authors You Should Know

The last few years have seen sales of Japanese translated fiction booming in the West. As a result, more of these talented writers are finally being translated for people to enjoy. Here are some of the contemporary Japanese writers people are talking about, and where you should start. Author of …
By Jess Esa | Freelance Writer and Editor
• Tokyo Weekender