Archive
The Tricksters of Tokyo
With dozens of magic bars and a small army of illusionists, Tokyo has a whole lot of tricks up its sleeve
Meet Markets
From nightclubs to dance lessons to, um, wax museums, locals offer their tips on where to find a date in Tokyo
Screen Dreams
A digital-age literary form has become a publishing powerhouse
Red Star Rising
With global Capitalism on the ropes, local Communism is on the rise
Spirited Away
In her newly translated memoir, Sakie Yokota recounts a mother's ultimate nightmare
Turning Japanese
Get your new year off to a crafty start by learning a traditional hobby
Last call for Kabukicho
As the iconic Koma Theater goes under the wrecking ball, is this the end of Tokyo’s notorious red-light district?
Annus Scandalous
A year’s worth of food safety scandals has upset Japan’s applecart
The Giving Season
Picking presents is easy with our can't miss gift guide.
Odd Jobs
Foreigners are finding creative ways to make a living in Tokyo
Hot Water
Tokyo’s onsen are open and ready for business
Showa Sweetness
Nostalgia for the postwar era has revived the market for vintage snacks and toys. From 200-year-old shops to gleaming mega-malls, everything old in Tokyo is new again
Peace Prize
After going missing in Mexico for more than 30 years, Taro Okamoto’s Myth of Tomorrow is about to be unveiled inside Shibuya station. Here’s the inside story of the efforts to recover and restore one of the artist’s most stunning works.
Get Out The Vote
The 2000 US Presidential election proved that every vote counts—especially those cast from overseas. This time around, expats are making sure their voices are heard
Game On!
A new book takes readers inside Tokyo’s game centers and offers tips on how to clean up
Latin Lover
Pop singer, erotic actress, lingerie model, pro-sex activist—Aya Sugimoto is a one-woman cultural phenomenon. Now she’s adding tango to her repertoire
A Tour for all Seasons
By land, sea or air, Tokyo’s sightseeing companies have an outing that’s right for you
Join The Club
Get a taste of the good life at Tokyo’s exclusive membership clubs
Drive Time
From unruly passengers to political scandals, Tokyo’s cabbies travel a rough road to success
Off the Books
Toss away your tourist guides—Metropolis gives you the scoop on Tokyo’s true hotspots
Troubled Waters
As typhoon season looms, Tokyo finds that its flood-prevention efforts are all wet
Sign of the Times
Say goodbye to “High Touch Town.” Roppongi is about to get a new Logo to go along with its new image
Carrie Nation
As Sex and the City: The Movie opens in Tokyo, Japanese women are emulating their big-screen heroines
Air Fair
Fuel costs are sending airfares into the stratosphere. What’s a poor traveler to do?
Face Off
Each year on August 15, downtown Tokyo turns into a riot zone as right-wing militants clash with antiwar protesters. Metropolis gives you a ringside seat to all the action
[Sub]urban Pleasures
Futako-Tamagawa offers attractions ranging from the spiritual to the cultural to the culinary. Here’s an insider’s guide TO THIS leafy Setagaya-ku neighborhood
Dressed to Thrill
As the summer sizzles with major cosplay events across Japan, the industry branches out in bold new directions
Long Live the Queen
TV host Charles Ayres scours the city for his prince
State of the Art
Why collecting Japanese contemporary art is right, now
Here Be Monsters
From ESP labs to Pokemon panics to death cults, Japan is a wonderland of the bizarre. Metropolis takes a Fortean approach to the country’s mysteries
Ladies Night Out
An evening in Tokyo’s underbelly reveals the bare essentials for a girl about town
On the Move
Connecting Shibuya with Ikebukuro (finally!), Tokyo’s last major subway line is ready to roll. Hop onboard the nifty new Fukutoshin line
Jero Worship
Japan can’t get enough of the first African-American enka singer
Shooting Asia
In Looking East, iconic photographer Steve McCurry portrays the continent and its people