Purple Magazine
— Purple #43 S/S 2025
The Tokyo Diary Issue

editor’s letter

Since the ’90s, Purple has been profoundly inspired by Japan, which, in turn, has warmly embraced the magazine. This exchange has continued throughout the magazine’s history, from the first Comme des Garçons campaigns featured in Purple to the many Japanese artists interviewed and the countless fashion shoots in Japan by photographers — from Nobuyoshi Araki to Takashi Homma, from Daido Moriyama to Chikashi Suzuki. We have never done an issue solely about Japan — until now. This issue, devoted to contemporary Japan, is framed as a Tokyo diary. A fragmented vision of Japan as a boundless source of inspiration. Nearly a hundred topics form what is the most comprehensive issue we’ve ever produced, with a typeface created by Gianni Oprandi as a tribute to the iconic photo magazine Provoke.

Japan no longer symbolizes the future as it did until the 2000s, before China surpassed it with its endless megacities, and California took the lead in turning a futuristic dream into an artificial intelligence dystopia. But Japan remains an unmatched source of artistic inspiration, as Wim Wenders tell us in his interview.

What does Japan bring us? What does it teach us that is so special, and more vital today than at any other time? First, a universal lesson in pacifism. Despite American pressure for Japan to rearm in the face of China and North Korea, it remains the only nation to have adopted — initially under constraint and now out of popular desire — a clear pacifist position, enshrined in its 1947 Constitution. This is rare enough to be worth highlighting, and so we conclude the magazine with an evocation of John Lennon’s long stays in Karuizawa and his discovery of the peaceful wabi-sabi philosophy.

In a world saturated with information designed to capture and monetize our attention via screens steering us away from our true desires, Japan is a country that continually brings us back to the essentials. Even in a fleeting visit, even in the midst of Tokyo’s sea of signs, Japan lets us rediscover what truly matters and where our inner focus should lie.

The archipelago, in its paradoxical way, frees us from the Western obsession with the ego through its respect for tradition, its extreme politeness, and its love of intimacy. It encourages a kind of “de-individualism.” It takes us into a different space-time, one that stretches the limits of the self and softens our narcissistic impulses. This country opens up a creative possibility: to leave behind the static ground of our individualistic habits and certainties, and embrace a radical otherness, a “symbolic system unlike anything we know.” Roland Barthes captures it best: “a certain shaking of the self, a reversal of old readings, a rupture of meaning, torn and exhausted to its unreplaceable void” (see the introductory text excerpted from Empire of Signs). An example of self-surrender: the art of the shibari master, Hajime Kinoko, requires complete trust in the one who ties the ropes around your body and suspends you in the air, above the void within yourself.

Japan is, above all, a great fashion nation. It’s a country where the boldest fashion thrives alongside the most minimalist aesthetics, all guided by an unmatched mastery of detail, tailoring, and fabrics (see the features on Kei Ninomiya, Tomo Koizumi, and Jun Takahashi). Designers from around the world come here in search of untainted creativity.

Another lesson from Japan lies in its acceptance of catastrophe. From the haunting memories of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings to the tragedy of Fukushima, from earthquakes to typhoons, the Japanese live with constant awareness of being between disasters. But they don’t just endure this chaotic reality; they turn it into wisdom and awareness — even though Japan is far from being the ecological paradise one might imagine, given the untouched beauty of its landscapes (see the interview with the writer Ryoko Sekiguchi).

Japan is also a harmony of opposites, a fascinating integration of life and death, even within the seemingly superficial realm of fashion. Look to Rei Kawakubo’s hauntingly bloodstained Spring/Summer 2025 collection, or to the monumental Kazuo Ohno and butoh, the dance
of darkness that ignites silence and visceral movements.

And maybe the most profound lesson Japan offers: an obsession with perfection that isn’t about reaching a final goal but about continuously pushing the limits of what’s possible. Japanese artists embrace an extremism that knows no bounds, where perfection becomes a playful exploration of infinite possibilities, sometimes even humor hidden behind radicality. Take a look at Takuro Kuwata’s explosive ceramic sculptures.

Japan, both in its art and daily life, is a magical place where the extraordinary rises from the ordinary. A ceramic piece, a small bar, a bouquet, a face, sex, a dish, striking architecture, the tiny plants surrounding a vending machine… The extraordinary hides in the details, and the everyday becomes a form of art.

— Olivier Zahm

[Table of contents]

  • editor’s letter
  • editor’s letter
    editor’s letter

    editor’s letter

    Read the article
  • empire of signs
    empire of signs

    empire of signs
    by Roland Barthes

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #1 takashi murakami
    cover #1 takashi murakami

    cover #1 takashi murakami
    interview by Jérôme Sans

    Read the article
  • takashi murakami
    takashi murakami

    takashi murakami
    interview by Jérôme Sans

    Read the article
  • ryoko sekiguchi
    ryoko sekiguchi

    ryoko sekiguchi
    interview by Mark Alizart and Olivier Zahm

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #2 motoko ishibashi
    cover #2 motoko ishibashi

    cover #2 motoko ishibashi

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • motoko ishibashi
    motoko ishibashi

    motoko ishibashi
    interview by Aleph Molinari

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • atsuko tanaka
    atsuko tanaka

    atsuko tanaka

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • sexual assault breaking the silence
    sexual assault breaking the silence

    sexual assault breaking the silence
    by Karyn Nishimura-Poupée

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • juergen teller and nobuyoshi araki
    juergen teller and nobuyoshi araki

    juergen teller and nobuyoshi araki

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • chiho aoshima
    chiho aoshima

    chiho aoshima

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • hajime sawatari
    hajime sawatari

    hajime sawatari

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • suwa nagano
    suwa nagano

    suwa nagano
    by Stéphane Sednaoui

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • fetish magazines
    fetish magazines

    fetish magazines
    by Katerina Jebb

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • tadanoori yokoo
    tadanoori yokoo

    tadanoori yokoo
    text by André Michel

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • kazumi asamura hayashi
    kazumi asamura hayashi

    kazumi asamura hayashi

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • keiichi tanaami
    keiichi tanaami

    keiichi tanaami

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • fumihiro hayashi
    fumihiro hayashi

    fumihiro hayashi
    text by Olivier Zahm

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • nobuyoshi araki
    nobuyoshi araki

    nobuyoshi araki
    portrait by Chikashi Suzuki

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • tomoo gokita
    tomoo gokita

    tomoo gokita
    interview by Olivier Zahm

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #4 tomoo gokita
    cover #4 tomoo gokita

    cover #4 tomoo gokita

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • loewe s/s 2025
    loewe s/s 2025

    loewe s/s 2025
    photography by Suffo Moncloa

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • hajime sorayama
    hajime sorayama

    hajime sorayama

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • my father
    my father

    my father
    by Rick Owens

    Read the article
  • announcement to humanity
    announcement to humanity

    announcement to humanity
    by Ryoko Sekiguchi

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #3 katerina jebb
    cover #3 katerina jebb

    cover #3 katerina jebb

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #5 loewe s/s 2025
    cover #5 loewe s/s 2025

    cover #5 loewe s/s 2025
    photography by Suffo Moncloa

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • masahisa fukase
    masahisa fukase

    masahisa fukase

    Read the article
  • hajime kinoko
    hajime kinoko

    hajime kinoko
    interview by Olivier Zahm

    Read the article
  • raiki yamamoto
    raiki yamamoto

    raiki yamamoto

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #6 masahisa fukase
    cover #6 masahisa fukase

    cover #6 masahisa fukase

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • kunichi nomura
    kunichi nomura

    kunichi nomura
    text by Aaron Rose

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • aya takano
    aya takano

    aya takano

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • tomoyo kawari
    tomoyo kawari

    tomoyo kawari

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • masaru hatanaka
    masaru hatanaka

    masaru hatanaka
    interview by Aleph Molinari

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • why japan?
    why japan?

    why japan?
    by Urs Fischer, Ramdane Touhami, Stéphane Sednaoui

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #8 esther rose-mcgregor in valentino s/s 2025
    cover #8 esther rose-mcgregor in valentino s/s 2025

    cover #8 esther rose-mcgregor in valentino s/s 2025
    photography by Hart Lëshkina

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • why japan?
    why japan?

    why japan?
    by Helmut Lang

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • minoru nomata
    minoru nomata

    minoru nomata

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • in praise of shadows
    in praise of shadows

    in praise of shadows
    by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • best of the season s/s 2025
    best of the season s/s 2025

    best of the season s/s 2025
    photography by Takashi Homma

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • purple beauty nails
    purple beauty nails

    purple beauty nails
    by Mei Kawajiri

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • ryūichi sakamoto
    ryūichi sakamoto

    ryūichi sakamoto

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • valentino s/s 2025
    valentino s/s 2025

    valentino s/s 2025
    photography by Hart Lëshkina

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • nobuyoshi araki
    nobuyoshi araki

    nobuyoshi araki

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #10 bottega veneta
    cover #10 bottega veneta

    cover #10 bottega veneta
    photography by Nikolai von Bismarck

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • balenciaga s/s 2025
    balenciaga s/s 2025

    balenciaga s/s 2025
    photography by Juergen Teller

    Read the article
  • kazuo ohno
    kazuo ohno

    kazuo ohno

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #7 prada s/s 2025
    cover #7 prada s/s 2025

    cover #7 prada s/s 2025
    photography by Takashi Homma

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • butoh the dance of darkness
    butoh the dance of darkness

    butoh the dance of darkness
    photography by Nikolai von Bismarck

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #9 balenciaga s/s 2025
    cover #9 balenciaga s/s 2025

    cover #9 balenciaga s/s 2025
    photography by Juergen Teller

    Read the article
  • tomihiro kono
    tomihiro kono

    tomihiro kono
    photography by Joe Lai

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #12 comme des garçons s/s 2025
    cover #12 comme des garçons s/s 2025

    cover #12 comme des garçons s/s 2025
    photography by Ola Rindal

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • comme des garçons s/s 2025
    comme des garçons s/s 2025

    comme des garçons s/s 2025
    photography by Ola Rindal

    Read the article
  • cover #11 nobuyoshi araki
    cover #11 nobuyoshi araki

    cover #11 nobuyoshi araki

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • chanel s/s 2025
    chanel s/s 2025

    chanel s/s 2025
    photography by Chikashi Suzuki

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • the japanese lessons we refuse to learn
    the japanese lessons we refuse to learn

    the japanese lessons we refuse to learn
    by Daido Moriyama

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • dualité by brioni and lalique
    dualité by brioni and lalique

    dualité by brioni and lalique
    photography by Olivier Zahm

    Read the article
  • pink eiga
    pink eiga

    pink eiga

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #18 sakura andō in chanel s/s 2025
    cover #18 sakura andō in chanel s/s 2025

    cover #18 sakura andō in chanel s/s 2025
    photography by Chikashi Suzuki

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • noritoshi hirakawa
    noritoshi hirakawa

    noritoshi hirakawa

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • tomo koizumi
    tomo koizumi

    tomo koizumi
    photography by Chikashi Suzuki

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • trails
    trails

    trails
    by Takashi Homma

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • koji kimura
    koji kimura

    koji kimura
    by André Michel

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #13 dualité by brioni and lalique
    cover #13 dualité by brioni and lalique

    cover #13 dualité by brioni and lalique
    photography by Olivier Zahm

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • daido moriyama
    daido moriyama

    daido moriyama

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • erotica
    erotica

    erotica
    by Olivier Zahm

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • purple story
    purple story

    purple story

    Read the article
  • takuro kuwata
    takuro kuwata

    takuro kuwata

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #16 saint laurent by anthony vaccarello s/s 2025
    cover #16 saint laurent by anthony vaccarello s/s 2025

    cover #16 saint laurent by anthony vaccarello s/s 2025
    photography by Takashi Homma

    Read the article
  • setsuko klossowska de rola
    setsuko klossowska de rola

    setsuko klossowska de rola

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #15 paul & joe
    cover #15 paul & joe

    cover #15 paul & joe
    photography by Olivier Zahm

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • why japan?
    why japan?

    why japan?
    by Coco Capitán

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • alejandro garcia contreras
    alejandro garcia contreras

    alejandro garcia contreras

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • casablanca s/s 2025
    casablanca s/s 2025

    casablanca s/s 2025
    photography by Keizo Motoda

    Read the article
  • why japan?
    why japan?

    why japan?
    by Stefano Pilati

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • saint laurent by anthony vaccarello s/s 2025
    saint laurent by anthony vaccarello s/s 2025

    saint laurent by anthony vaccarello s/s 2025
    photography by Takashi Homma

    Read the article
  • why japan?
    why japan?

    why japan?
    by André

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • best of men s/s 2025
    best of men s/s 2025

    best of men s/s 2025
    Photography by Kejichi Nitta

    Read the article
  • kei ninomiya
    kei ninomiya

    kei ninomiya
    interview by Olivier Zahm

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • anders edström
    anders edström

    anders edström

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • zen gardens
    zen gardens

    zen gardens
    by Takashi Homma

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • wabi-sabi spiritual values
    wabi-sabi spiritual values

    wabi-sabi spiritual values
    by Leonard Koren

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • wim wenders
    wim wenders

    wim wenders
    interview by Olivier Zahm and Aleph Molinari

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • miu miu s/s 2025
    miu miu s/s 2025

    miu miu s/s 2025
    photography by Coco Capitán

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • ruth asawa
    ruth asawa

    ruth asawa

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • kazuyo sejima
    kazuyo sejima

    kazuyo sejima

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • waves
    waves

    waves
    by Takashi Homma

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • jun takahashi
    jun takahashi

    jun takahashi
    interview by Aleph Molinari

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #14 casablanca s/s 2025
    cover #14 casablanca s/s 2025

    cover #14 casablanca s/s 2025
    photography by Keizo Motoda

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • kumiko
    kumiko

    kumiko
    by Anna Dubosc

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • yōko yamanaka
    yōko yamanaka

    yōko yamanaka
    interview by Olivier Zahm

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • mariko mori
    mariko mori

    mariko mori

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • cover #17 miu miu s/s 2025
    cover #17 miu miu s/s 2025

    cover #17 miu miu s/s 2025
    photography by Coco Capitán

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • the tokyo toilet
    the tokyo toilet

    the tokyo toilet
    by Koji Yanai

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • ann lee in anzen zone
    ann lee in anzen zone

    ann lee in anzen zone
    by Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • young designers s/s 2025
    young designers s/s 2025

    young designers s/s 2025
    Photography by Dasom Han

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • kenshu shintsubo
    kenshu shintsubo

    kenshu shintsubo

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • why japan?
    why japan?

    why japan?
    by Setsuko

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • the original hotel okura
    the original hotel okura

    the original hotel okura
    by Valerie Sadoun

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • kyoto international conference center
    kyoto international conference center

    kyoto international conference center
    by Sachio Otani

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • tadashi kawamata
    tadashi kawamata

    tadashi kawamata
    interview by Aleph Molinari

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • purple beauty make-up
    purple beauty make-up

    purple beauty make-up
    photography by Eamonn Zeel Freel

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • self-portrait
    self-portrait

    self-portrait
    Takashi Homma

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • kids
    kids

    kids
    by Takashi Homma

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • hideaki kawashima
    hideaki kawashima

    hideaki kawashima

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • yoshitomo nara
    yoshitomo nara

    yoshitomo nara

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • yasujirō ozu
    yasujirō ozu

    yasujirō ozu

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • the isamu noguchi garden museum
    the isamu noguchi garden museum

    the isamu noguchi garden museum

    Subscription
    coming soon
  • yoko and john in karuizawa
    yoko and john in karuizawa

    yoko and john in karuizawa
    by François Simon

    Subscription
    coming soon

    • editor’s letter
    • empire of signs
      by Roland Barthes
    • cover #1 takashi murakami
      interview by Jérôme Sans
    • takashi murakami
      interview by Jérôme Sans
    • ryoko sekiguchi
      interview by Mark Alizart and Olivier Zahm
    • cover #2 motoko ishibashi
    • motoko ishibashi
      interview by Aleph Molinari
    • atsuko tanaka
    • sexual assault breaking the silence
      by Karyn Nishimura-Poupée
    • juergen teller and nobuyoshi araki
    • chiho aoshima
    • hajime sawatari
    • cover #3 katerina jebb
    • fetish magazines
      by Katerina Jebb
    • tadanoori yokoo
      text by André Michel
    • kazumi asamura hayashi
    • keiichi tanaami
    • fumihiro hayashi
      text by Olivier Zahm
    • cover #4 tomoo gokita
    • tomoo gokita
      interview by Olivier Zahm
    • cover #5 loewe s/s 2025
      photography by Suffo Moncloa
    • loewe s/s 2025
      photography by Suffo Moncloa
    • hajime sorayama
    • my father
      by Rick Owens
    • announcement to humanity
      by Ryoko Sekiguchi
    • suwa nagano
      by Stéphane Sednaoui
    • cover #6 masahisa fukase
    • masahisa fukase
    • hajime kinoko
      interview by Olivier Zahm
    • raiki yamamoto
    • nobuyoshi araki
      portrait by Chikashi Suzuki
    • kunichi nomura
      text by Aaron Rose
    • aya takano
    • tomoyo kawari
    • masaru hatanaka
      interview by Aleph Molinari
    • why japan?
      by Urs Fischer, Ramdane Touhami, Stéphane Sednaoui
    • ryūichi sakamoto
    • why japan?
      by Helmut Lang
    • minoru nomata
    • cover #7 prada s/s 2025
      photography by Takashi Homma
    • best of the season s/s 2025
      photography by Takashi Homma
    • purple beauty nails
      by Mei Kawajiri
    • cover #8 esther rose-mcgregor in valentino s/s 2025
      photography by Hart Lëshkina
    • valentino s/s 2025
      photography by Hart Lëshkina
    • tomihiro kono
      photography by Joe Lai
    • cover #9 balenciaga s/s 2025
      photography by Juergen Teller
    • balenciaga s/s 2025
      photography by Juergen Teller
    • kazuo ohno
    • cover #10 bottega veneta
      photography by Nikolai von Bismarck
    • butoh the dance of darkness
      photography by Nikolai von Bismarck
    • cover #11 nobuyoshi araki
    • nobuyoshi araki
    • comme des garçons s/s 2025
      photography by Ola Rindal
    • cover #12 comme des garçons s/s 2025
      photography by Ola Rindal
    • in praise of shadows
      by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki
    • mariko mori
    • cover #13 dualité by brioni and lalique
      photography by Olivier Zahm
    • dualité by brioni and lalique
      photography by Olivier Zahm
    • pink eiga
    • cover #14 casablanca s/s 2025
      photography by Keizo Motoda
    • casablanca s/s 2025
      photography by Keizo Motoda
    • tomo koizumi
      photography by Chikashi Suzuki
    • trails
      by Takashi Homma
    • koji kimura
      by André Michel
    • the japanese lessons we refuse to learn
      by Daido Moriyama
    • daido moriyama
    • erotica
      by Olivier Zahm
    • alejandro garcia contreras
    • takuro kuwata
    • why japan?
      by Stefano Pilati
    • setsuko klossowska de rola
    • why japan?
      by Coco Capitán
    • cover #15 paul & joe
      photography by Olivier Zahm
    • purple story
    • noritoshi hirakawa
    • cover #16 saint laurent by anthony vaccarello s/s 2025
      photography by Takashi Homma
    • saint laurent by anthony vaccarello s/s 2025
      photography by Takashi Homma
    • why japan?
      by André
    • best of men s/s 2025
      Photography by Kejichi Nitta
    • kei ninomiya
      interview by Olivier Zahm
    • anders edström
    • zen gardens
      by Takashi Homma
    • wabi-sabi spiritual values
      by Leonard Koren
    • cover #17 miu miu s/s 2025
      photography by Coco Capitán
    • miu miu s/s 2025
      photography by Coco Capitán
    • ruth asawa
    • kazuyo sejima
    • waves
      by Takashi Homma
    • jun takahashi
      interview by Aleph Molinari
    • yōko yamanaka
      interview by Olivier Zahm
    • kumiko
      by Anna Dubosc
    • cover #18 sakura andō in chanel s/s 2025
      photography by Chikashi Suzuki
    • chanel s/s 2025
      photography by Chikashi Suzuki
    • wim wenders
      interview by Olivier Zahm and Aleph Molinari
    • the tokyo toilet
      by Koji Yanai
    • ann lee in anzen zone
      by Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster
    • young designers s/s 2025
      Photography by Dasom Han
    • kenshu shintsubo
    • why japan?
      by Setsuko
    • the original hotel okura
      by Valerie Sadoun
    • kyoto international conference center
      by Sachio Otani
    • tadashi kawamata
      interview by Aleph Molinari
    • purple beauty make-up
      photography by Eamonn Zeel Freel
    • self-portrait
      Takashi Homma
    • kids
      by Takashi Homma
    • hideaki kawashima
    • yoshitomo nara
    • yasujirō ozu
    • the isamu noguchi garden museum
    • yoko and john in karuizawa
      by François Simon
Purple #43 S/S 2025 The Tokyo Diary Issue

Table of contents

© Purple Institute

Subscribe to our newsletter