japaneselead
It's no secret that Japanese magazines are dope. Obsessed with details, authenticity, and capturing the very essence of cool, there are plenty out there that pride themselves in their well-shot editorials and sick products they choose to include in their pages. They also readily include numerous photos of stylish guys from all over — and sometimes even come with free swag like your favorite cereal as a kid.
What's really amazing is how the design and photography in a lot of Japanese men's style magazines are so drool-worthy that they've managed to overcome the language barrier. You'll find them anywhere from a PRPS founder's office to being sold in J. Crew's specialty men's shops. If you're completely unfamiliar as to which ones you should be hunting down and flipping through, we got you taken care of. Here are 10 Japanese Men's Style Magazines You Should Know.
gap
gapPRESS MEN
Frequency: Seasonal
Price: 1380 yen (~$18)
Website: gapjapan.jp
gapPRESS prides itself on being the "fastest report on fashion shows distributed simultaneously worldwide." Each season their comprehensive shakedown on runways from around the world includes high-res photos of complete collections, some with "iconic looks" of the season chosen by the magazine's editors. You'll even find designer bios written in English alongside the Japanese text.
goout
GO OUT
Frequency: Monthly
Price: 680 yen (~$9)
Website: goout.jp
Dedicated to outdoor gear and brands, inside these pages you'll find Nalgene bottles, reusable sporks, and Jeep Wranglers alongside items like Kelty Daypacks, Danner Boots, and technical outerwear from winter-ready brands like Manastash, Wild Things, Ternua, Arcteryx, and The North Face. This isn't an R.E.I. catalog though — you'll also see street style shots of guys pulling off risky looks like baselayers and running shorts. If you're looking for back issues, the publication underwent a recent name change from "Outdoor Style Go Out" to simply "Go Out."
lightning
Lightning
Frequency: Monthly
Price: 680 yen (~$9)
Website: blog.sideriver.com/lng_info/
This publication is a vintage enthusiast's wet dream. Inside you'll find tons of photos of well-worn boots, leather jackets, and jeans. There are visualized tips on how to restore old leather New Balances and leather jackets, and behind-the-scenes looks at the factories still making all sorts of heritage gear. Harley Davidson fans will go ape to find photos of broken-in chain wallets and a shitload of motorcycle memorabilia, including authentic bike gang gear. Columns delve into the military history of certain pieces, and there's even tips on what to visit via bike in Japan and how to handle a motorcycle better. Don't get the real deal confused with the recently-launched Lightning Zero, a sibling publication aimed at a slightly younger audience.
huge
HUGE
Frequency: Monthly
Price: 780 yen (~$10)
Website: hugemagazine.jp
HUGE is full of product-centric stories focusing on items like Comme des Garcons varsity rings, Thom Browne Eyewear, and Chrome Hearts cashmere stoles. The beautiful photography set against a simple white background gives the featured items a certain gravitas. They also do great editorials with brands like Bedwin & The Heartbreakers, Undercoverism, and The Soloist. For example, their latest issue features a well-styled shoot with cover star Thom Yorke walking around London's Hyde Park while wearing a slew of clothes from Undercover, and an in-depth interview with designer Umit Benan. You'll also find plenty of artfully shot, tastefully nude female models.
ex
Men's Ex
Frequency: Monthly
Price: 780 yen (~$10)
Website: mens-ex.jp
If you ever wanna boost Dad out of his midlife crisis, give him a few copies of this. Aimed at high-level businessmen and executive types (hence, Men's Ex), the pages contain a bunch of well-dressed white dudes modeling the latest suits and sportcoats from companies like Ralph Lauren, Loro Piana, and Ermenegildo Zegna, and look as great as Steve Carrell, post Crazy Stupid Love man-over. Learn life advice like how to fold a button down shirt, clean corduroy, what kind Mercedes Benz to buy, and ogle over a bunch of premium leather accessories from Louis Vuitton, scents from Creed, Patek Phillippe watches, and home goods perfect for the modern-day Don Draper... and you know, stuff like expensive anti-wrinkle cream. Dad might need that.
slider
Slider
Frequency: Seasonal
Price: 1050 yen (~$14)
Website: daytona-mag.com/slider/mag/index.html
This Japanese skateboard lifestyle magazine is kind of under-the-radar but is definitely worth a look. They feature profiles on skaters like Jahmal Williams and John Igei as well as artists like Jeru the Damaja and Todd Jordan. Each issue has well-shot skating editorials and flicks from tours with companies like Gravis Japan. Their latest issue has a feature on "The Evolution of Skate Photography" that's definitely worth peeping.
cooltrans
Cool trans
Frequency: Monthly
Price: 780 yen (~$10)
Website: cool-trans.net
Cool trans is one of many magazines aimed at young, Japanese youths that more often than not come packaged with free swag. Usually this means you'll get a tote bag co-branded with a hot Japanese streetwear label like Neighborhood or Sophnet. Don't be fooled though, you'll find these gold rings are usually copper, as the quality on these giveaways usually isn't up to snuff, but they're a nice gesture anyway. This magazine focuses on a variety of styles, and gives you advice on how to rock certain items like knitwear — followed by a bunch of pages featuring the season's best from designers like Adam Kimmel, Umit Benan, and Takahiro Miyashita. Towards the back you'll find guides to all the coolest Japanese stores, more editorials focusing on how to wear specific items, and a little bit of pop culture knowledge to round out the publication.
warp
warp
Frequency: Bi-Monthly
Price: 680 yen (~$9)
Website: warpweb.jp
warp covers the latest in greatest in streetwear and beyond. Whether it's an awesome editorial shot on Japanese streets, like they did for their Nippon-themed issue, which also featured great street style shots on the owners and employees of popular boutiques like Opening Ceremony and Union Los Angeles. You'll also find photos of new shops like Supreme's London outpost, and pages full of sneakers and footwear to drool over. Mix in informative product guides featuring high-end performance gear from White Mountaineering, the latest in bicycles, surfboards, and a hint of culture news, and you've got the closest thing possible to a Japanese version of Complex.
nonno
Men's Non-no
Frequency: Monthly
Price: 680 yen (~$9)
Website: mensnonno.jp
In the game since 1987, the male counterpart to Japanese fashion mag Non-no is one of the country's most popular magazines. It combines street style snaps with a look into what's hot at boutiques all over the world, as well as regular updates on designer collections. It's also got a column by Japanese creative prodigy Hiroshi Fujiwara. Because of its global clout and great photos, it's easy to pick up and get lost in the magazine's pages. You almost forget you don't know any Japanese.
freeandeasy
wheretocop
Where to Buy
Given that these magazines are printed in Japan, you're going to have to account for at least a $4-$10 increase in the cover price to account for shipping costs. These publications arrive stateside via two methods: sea and air. Air shipping requires more gas, but is faster — and thus more expensive. Sometimes, bookstores will put back issues of magazines on sale, but the general price range you'll pay to pick up a Japanese magazine stateside is about $13-$20.
Here's a guide on where you can readily find these publications:
Kinnokuniya
Japanese bookstores like Kinnokuniya receive shipments on the regular and are also usually able to inform you of shipping dates. Plus, you can explore the racks and maybe find one that you absolutely love that isn't even on this list.
Rakuten
This website is a Japanese competitor to Amazon that lets you search through a whole bunch of products available for purchase. That means not only can you track down Japanese magazines, you can also cop hard-to-find Japanese clothes. The downside is not all of the site's sellers ship internationally.
Magazine Cafe
Manhattan's Magazine Cafe not only lets you buy single issues, you can fork over hundreds of dollars for a yearly subscription to many of these publications.
Japanese Streets
Although usually full of women's and anime-related magazines, you can sometimes scoop back issues of HUGE or cool lookbooks from brands like Neighborhood on this Japanese street style website, which compiles a list of relevant eBay auctions.
Amazon Japan
The good thing is Amazon Japan does ship internationally, however international shipping costs a grip — about $40-$50 extra. So if you're buying a thick stack of magazines or want to split up the order with a few friends to even out that cost, we'd totally understand.