Dear readers, one year has passed since I launched Tokyo Calling. Well, okay, it’s actually a little bit more than that but, you know, I’ve never been good with numbers and anniversaries.
Where was I? Ah, yes.
When writers and creators (on Substack or elsewhere) celebrate an anniversary, they usually spend one paragraph or five to look back at how their newsletter was born, their vision and ideas, the initial slow growth and hard times, and on and on.
Well, don’t worry, I’m going to skip that bit.
I only want to thank you for your loyalty and interest in my newsletter. It really means a lot to me. It’s true I write because I like it, but if nobody read my pieces it would be less satisfying.
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I also have big news to share: I’m finally launching paid subscriptions.
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Before you start worrying, let me assure you that Tokyo Calling is and will always be free. I’ll be adding extra content for paid subscribers but the basic newsletter (i.e. the 3-4 monthly posts you have received so far) are still free.
But let me explain a couple of things.
When I created Tokyo Calling, one of my stated goals - in a sense, the main reason for starting this newsletter - was to find an outlet for some of my more personal writing.
There was a time when writers were rewarded for being daring and pushing the envelope (think about Hunter S. Thompson’s “gonzo journalism” or Joan Didion’s books). Unfortunately, in the last few years (decades?) the world of publishing and the press have become increasingly homogenized, and all too often prefer to play it safe.
In the constantly changing publishing climate, where books are treated more than ever like merchandise and originality is sacrificed to sales, it’s getting increasingly difficult to find publishers eager to bet on interesting but not hugely popular ideas.
That’s why I started this newsletter.
Tokyo Calling is meant to be a safe place where I can experiment and share the kind of personal work that could never find an outlet in the present writing market.
This work is one of the things that I’m going to pursue and share with paid subscribers, starting with local stories (e.g. things happening in my neighborhood) that shed a new light on Japanese society and culture. Think about it as a way to know me better and experience firsthand the world where I live.
I’m also working on bigger book-sized projects. It’s the kind of research-heavy and travel-based work that takes time, energy and money to develop.
Again, Tokyo Calling will be my privileged outlet for sharing those works in a truly independent way. Here are a few things I have been working on.
Premium content for paid subscribers
The following are the projects that I’m going to share with my paid subscribers:
You Are Here, dispatches from my home and surroundings in the deep Yokohama suburbs, with plenty of photos, diary entries, quotes, excerpts, and social commentary. Here’s a unique chance to learn about Japan not from academic essays but “frontline” posts that show you what it’s like to live here.
The Great Indoors, inspired by Xavier de Maistre’s Voyage around My Room and the COVID-19 pandemic, is a travelogue of sorts where instead of travelling to exotic countries or engaging in urban exploration, I explore my house. This project is part domestic travelogue, part memoir (I look back at my life and the path I’ve walked so far) and part pop sociology (I discuss what in my opinion is good and bad about life in Japan).
Faraway, So Close, on the other hand, is a classic travelogue where I chronicle my “circumnavigation” of Japan. This is an ongoing project as every year I’m taking about 7-10 days off from my regular jobs to travel literally around Japan and explore different regions. I started in 2019 and will hopefully finish my travels in 2023, after which I’m going to share my findings with you.
If for whatever reason you can’t or don’t feel like becoming a paid subscriber, please don’t worry: you will still have access to my free content.
Free posts are coming out 3-4 times a month, as usual (typically - but not always - on Thursdays).
Paid content will be published every week, usually on Tuesdays.
What does becoming a paid subscriber mean? Let’s say that for the cost of a coffee a month, you will support my work and get the full experience.
Also, if you decide to become a paid subscriber, your generosity will be rewarded with a few gifts in the form of free downloadable PDFs. Here’s the list of available titles:
My works:
On Japan:
Otaku Special:
Tokyo Geek’s Guide (by Gianni Simone)
If you opt for a monthly subscription (USD 5.00) you can choose two books.
A yearly subscription (USD 50.00) will be worth four books.
Special Supporters (USD 100.00 or more - you decide) will get seven books.
Finally, if a paid subscription is not your thing but you still want to show your appreciation for what I do (e.g. a post you particularly enjoyed), you can just make a one-time donation here: paypal.me/giannisimone64
As always, thanks for reading.
At the end of the day, Tokyo Calling remains a labor of love, something I do because I love to tell stories, research interesting subjects and write about them, and I’m going to do it for whoever is interested in my writing, both free and paid subscribers.
Happy One Year Anniversary!!! :D