The TOMagazine


When I went to Book Apart, the bookstore in Okurayama, I discovered a new magazine.

For the past few years, I've stayed away from magazines because they come out so often and it takes up a lot of space. Plus you usually only read through it once before it's old news. But I couldn't stop myself from getting this one.

TOmagazine, or its current name TOmag, is a city culture magazine that features one ward of Tokyo in each issue. Tokyo has a total of 23 wards and you could say that each has their own characteristics. So I was quite intrigued by this idea of publishing a magazine for each ward.

The very first issue was dedicated to Adachi-ku. The magazine was filled with photographs, data, and stories that as a whole give you a peak into the lives of the people who live there. And not just the people but also the places and the history of the ward. It was interesting and I realized that even living in Tokyo, there are still a lot of things I don't know about our 23 wards. 

The second issue is dedicated to Meguro-ku, which is already out in bookstores now. Another issue on Nakano-ku will be in stores next month. Apparently the editors move their office along with the issue that they are covering, so they get first hand experience residing in each ward and interacting with the locals, which I thought was interesting. TOmag is written mostly in Japanese but it's worth it just to see the photographs and the beautiful layouts, if you're into things like that.

For me, it'll be a great way to get back to reading in Japanese. My reading skills definitely need work and this is a topic I'm willing to struggle to get through. Definitely my kind of magazine.

Do you read magazines? What are you favorites?

Labels: