2005 Spring - The Very Small Home - Four Free Magazines
Reading
Four free magazines serve Tokyo's diverse communities
text by Ichiro Uchino
Free publications are a valuable source of information for anyone wanting to enjoy cultural pursuits and other goings-on in Japan's capital. Here we look at four of the best free magazines in the city. Each serves a very different community, has its own distinctive style, and sets its own priorities for the information it carries.
metropolitana
 With its trademark white on red design, this publication makes a powerful impression. It targets a female audience with articles on the latest fashions. Women in Tokyo are busy, but they also have a powerful drive for self-improvement. As its title suggests, this free magazine is designed for the active urbanite, with tips about where to eat, what to wear, and where to have fun. It has become an indispensable networking tool for many thousands of women in the capital and can be picked up at 39 stations on eight rail and subway lines. It is also conveniently compact.
Released on the 10th of each month and remains on stands for 10 days
Published by Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd.
Distribution: 39 stations on eight Tokyo-area rail and subway lines, including Akasaka-mitsuke, Ebisu, Gaienmae, Ginza, Hatchobori, Hibiya, Ikebukuro, Kayabacho, Nihonbashi, Omotesando, Otemachi, Roppongi, Shibuya, Shimbashi, Shinjuku, Shinjuku-sanchome, Tameike-Sano, Takadanobaba, Tokyo, Toranomon, Ueno, Yotsuya, and Yurakucho.
www.metropolitana.jp
Metropolis
 This free weekly magazine carries all kinds of useful information in English about what's going on in and around Tokyo. It has especially good coverage of arts and entertainment, and a large classified advertising section. With multiple pages of ads, mostly from individuals, this is the place to find short- or long-term accommodation, household items, computers, cars, services, social and hobby clubs, or a new partner. All articles can also be read on the Metropolis website.
Released every Friday
Published by Crisscross KK
Distribution: Tokyo, Chiba, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama
AP Aoyama Press
 For more than 20 years, the Aoyama Press has been keeping residents of the vibrant Aoyama district informed about their own community and local events. Aoyama Press covers the various shops and brand names that have drawn the capital's most discerning fashion and art lovers to the district over the decades. It also serves as a valuable document of record on Aoyama's recent history and the crucial role the area has played as the home of avant-garde culture in the development of Tokyo as a modern international city. Articles have featured such famous local artists and residents as artist Taro Okamoto, fashion designer Junko Koshino, and architect Kisho Kurokawa.
Released on 25th of February, May, August, November
Published by Com Project / Tel. 03-5775-2151
Distribution: Kita-Aoyama, Minami-Aoyama, Nishi-Azabu, Shibuya, and environs
Tokyo Notice Board
 This free publication, produced entirely in English, is designed for English-speaking residents of Tokyo and Japanese who understand the language. It has everything a newcomer to Tokyo from overseas might need during his or her stay in the city. Regular sections address accommodations, restaurants and bars, an entertainment guide, job advertisements, and information on schools and tuition. TNB is available in areas of central Tokyo frequented by foreigners, including Akasaka, Aoyama, Azabu, and Roppongi, as well as in churches, international schools, the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, Tourist Information at Narita Airport, and at U.S. military bases around the Kanto Plain. Its small size makes it easy to carry around.
Released weekly on Fridays
Published by Tokyo Notice Board Inc.
Distribution: Tokyo and the neighboring prefectures of Kanagawa and Chiba
www.tokyonoticeboard.co.jp
Articles from the 2005 SPRING issue:
Kateigaho International Edition Issues:
2005 SUMMER - 2005 SPRING - 2005 WINTER
2004 AUTUMN - 2004 SUMMER - 2004 SPRING - 2004 WINTER
2003 AUTUMN - INAUGURAL ISSUE
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