Okinawa: Paradise found. Hugo Boss: Talking with the boss man. Akita: Snow dogs & artisans. Party politics: Flavour of the month. Also in this issue: Top news from Asia daily wire, fashion with Michiko London, movies, events and much more…

Tag Heuer perfect timing: The precision engineering behind the iconic Swiss brand. Breaking the silence: Former Miss International speaks out against yakuza. Baruto: We speak with the Baltic sumo superstar on the eve of his retirement. The mayor of Minato: Managing Tokyo’s most international ward. Also: Interview with former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, agenda, people, parties, and places, and much more.

A beautiful life: Trends, treatments & Tokyo’s hottest salons. From Sweden with love: TV star LiLiCo on her hard-fought path to success. Grass roots: We meet Tom Byer, the man who inspired a generation of Japanese footballers. Way of the warrior: Following in the footsteps of legendary samurai Kuroda Kanbe. Also: Business focus: Women in the workplace, agenda, people, parties, and places, and much more.

Captain America: We talk to US rugby legend Todd Clever about his stellar career and life in Japan. Primal eating: Man’s primitive nutrition plan has become today’s most talked-about diet. Runway perfection: Japanese designers showcase unconventional style at Tokyo’s biggest week of fashion. Inner visions: Artist Asami Kiyokawa prepares to go global with her imaginative visual style. Also: The brilliant blades of Kamata Hakensha, Paraiso’s Latin paradise, people, parties, and places, and much more.

A little taste of France in Tokyo. Unsung islands: The history & scenery of Iki and Tsushima. Godzilla: A look at the behemoth’s cinematic past. Paging Dr. Nakamats: Inside the mind of Japan’s most prolific inventor. Also: Summer school special, fine dining in Tokyo, people, parties, and places, upcoming events and more…

Songs from the heart: Chris Hart lets his music do the talking. Come together: Our summer festival guide. Hell on wheels: Vintage motorbikes tear up a Saitama race course. World Cup 2014: The Samura Blue get ready to hit Brazil. Also: Director Steve McQueen exhibits a daring short film, people parties and places, agenda, and more…

UFC fight night Japan 2014. Charity celebrity: Model and UN World Food Programme Ambassador Kurara Chibana. Summertime in Kyoto: Experience a festival of lights, Gion matsuri and riverside dining. Dancing machine: Talking with “America’s Got Talent” winner Kenichi Ebina. Also: Novelist Barry Lancet, Natural Beauty at La Yamano Salon, people, parties and places, agenda, and more…

Tadao Ando: Architecture’s superheavyweight. Shuntaro Tanikawa: Japan’s beloved poet on a life lived in words. Soak it in: Akita’s year-round mountain paradise. Step into the octagon: UFC fight night Japan 2014. Also: Sculptor Junko Mori’s unique metalwork, US actress Charlotte Kate Fox prepares for her NHK debut, and much more.

Guitar hero: Rocking out with Marty Friedman. UFC fight night Japan: Celebrities, adrenaline and entertainment. Okinawa: Dive into an island adventure. The life organic: All-natural products for health and beauty. Also: Nagoya-style grilled eels in Ginza, outdoor sports in Akita, people, parties, and places, agenda, and more…

Experience Nagasaki: Tradition and modernity meet at Japan’s first gateway to the west. Miyavi: The globetrotting musician prepares to take a new stage. Education special: Communities of learning, in the classroom and beyond. Hideaki Anno: The director of Evangelion headlines the Tokyo International Film Festival. Also: Getting in touch with the natural beauty of Akita, Yuta Tabuse: The NBA ambassador, people, parties, and places, and much more.

Akita: Festivals of ice and fire. Politics: How a fan can kill your career. Erika Sawajiri: First class actress stays on script. Also: Master motivator Shuzo Matsuoka, the story of a social entrepreneur, ecotourism in Japan, agenda, movies, and more.

Celebrate in style: Weekender’s guide for gifts and winter activities. Hakone: Art, onsens, and the wonders of nature. Health check: Japan’s high-performance health care. Rough justice: Forced confessions in the Japanese legal system. Also: Cheeky parade does New York, the deep roots of one of Tokyo’s oldest beauty salons, agenda, movies, and more…

Buddhism in Japan: Reaching out to a new generation of practitioners. Okinawa: Chanpuru culture and cherry blossoms in January. Mika Ninagawa: The contrasting visions of a vibrant photographer. Hit the new year running: Gear and guides for shaping up in the year of the sheep. Also: Taijiro Iimori brings Wagner’s flying dutchman to Japan, toastmasters in Tokyo, agenda, movies, and more…

Where is the love? The story behind Japan’s frozen population growth. Taking note: Global perspectives and new designs in education. Cover star: Songstress May J breaks through with “Let It Go.” Also: A chocolate movement comes to Tokyo, Valentine’s gift guide, art around town, agenda, movies, and more…

Two decades after the AUM attacks: A former leader speaks out. Also: Weekender’s spring beauty guide, Thai designers go big in Tokyo, Japan post’s godzilla-sized IPO, and more…