At the Above
Purple Tokyo

For decades, Purple has drawn deep inspiration from Japan — and been embraced in return. From early Comme des Garçons features to collaborations with iconic photographers like Araki and Moriyama, Japan has been woven into the magazine’s DNA. Yet this marks our first issue devoted entirely to the country.

Framed as a fragmented Tokyo diary, this special edition captures the complexities of contemporary Japan through nearly 100 stories — our most expansive issue yet. Designed with a custom typeface honoring the legendary photo magazine Provoke, the issue pays tribute to Japan’s enduring cultural power.

Today, Japan no longer stands as the symbol of the future it once was. Yet it remains a wellspring of artistic and philosophical depth. In a noisy, ego-driven digital world, Japan reminds us of simplicity, humility, and beauty in imperfection. Its traditions of pacifism, emotional restraint, and respect for the ordinary offer an antidote to Western excess.

This issue explores everything from fashion visionaries like Rei Kawakubo and Jun Takahashi to the quiet grace of shibari, from the resilience born of catastrophe to the perfectionism that elevates ceramics and tailoring into high art.

240 x 330mm

Hardcover

Please note that various cover options are supplied to us at random, and you may not receive the cover that is photographed.

Pick up from our Fitzroy showroom 198 Gertrude St, L1