Substacks recommended by Gianni Simone

Recommended by Gianni Simone

Japan Pics

By Matt Murray

Travel photography adventures in Japan 😍

Great pics for going beyond Japan's usual travel photography.

- Gianni Simone

Words by Baye / Art by Miki

By Baye McNeil

I'm an author, columnist, and teacher. I write funny, heady stories about life for a non-Japanese person living in Japan. Miki is an artist, designer, and all-around renaissance woman. We live in a house we built in a quiet corner of Tokyo. Welcome!

Real stories from a long-time Japan resident. Always engaging, always funny.

- Gianni Simone

One Photograph

By Les Longino

One photograph with my thoughts, per post. Nothing more. All photographs are my own.

Each post, one photo and Les's comment on where, when, how, and why she took it. Brilliantly simple, to the point, thought-provoking.

- Gianni Simone

The Kyote

By Daniel Eve

Japanese true crime with a 20-year resident of Kyoto

About the dark side of Japan.

- Gianni Simone

Luke Honey's WEEKEND FLICKS.

Cinema for Grown Ups.

For film lovers, obviously, but the real pleasure is reading Luke's brilliant prose.

- Gianni Simone

Yen Sensei: Personal Finance in Japan

By Johannes Mario

Investing, credit cards, money management, saving hacks, and much more for residents of Japan!

Easy-to-understand and engagingly written blog on personal finance for English speakers in Japan.

- Gianni Simone

Japanomics

By Julian Smith

A weekly newsletter about economics in Japan, arguably the country at the forefront of economic changes that will affect all developed countries in the near future.

I like Julian's easy-to-understand, non-nonsense take on Japanese economy.

- Gianni Simone

Bread and Roses

By Portia

Musings about translation, my bread, and what I find interesting and no less vital, the roses.

About language, translations, and life. Whatever Portia writes, it's well worth your time.

- Gianni Simone

English Republic of Letters

By Jeffrey Streeter

A glimpse of distant horizons via "beautifully crafted essays and observations" covering literature, memoir, and faraway cities from a recovering cultural bureaucrat joining up the dots of an international life.

Literature, language, culture... whatever subject Jeffrey writes about, reading his essays is always an uplifting, thought-provoking experience.

- Gianni Simone

Auraist: picking the best-written books of the month

By Sean

32K+ readers. Followers, please note that only free or paid subscribers receive our picks of the best-written books from US & UK prize shortlists & major reviews, & masterclasses by their (sometimes world-renowned) authors on prose style.

An excellent guide for book lovers.

- Gianni Simone

Frog's Glen

By Jack

Profiles of real Japan

Dispatches from Chiba's deep country. Interesting, informative, funny. Jack has a way with words.

- Gianni Simone

JAPAN ORDINARY -photos-

By Japan Ordinary

I like to capture the INTERESTING NORMAL in my life. I hope you can feel the REAL ATMOSPHERE OF JAPAN from my photos.

For lovers of photography and Japan.

- Gianni Simone

Hidden Japan

By Leon

Understand the Japanese Psyche with a local English speaker's perspective

Deeply researched stories about Japan, with a predilection for the weird side.

- Gianni Simone

Ninja Nomad

By Shawn Brooks

First-hand stories from Japan. Occasionally some other East Asian nations thrown in.

If you like Tokyo Calling, you will surely enjoy this newsletter.

- Gianni Simone

Japan Rail News

By japanrailnews

Travel by train in Japan: news, trip reports, and ticket specials.

Everything you want to know about exploring Japan by train.

- Gianni Simone

Bruno & Taro's Newsletter

By Rey Ventura

The practice and art of photo-video journalism, independent filmmaking, travel writing, occasional gardening, and everything in between.

Poetry in photographic form. Simple, essential, enchanting.

- Gianni Simone

Walking Across Japan

By Julian Smith

Get a deeper knowledge of Japan, its history, economics and society, beyond the anime and "crazy Japan" headlines.

For fans of deep dive walking travelogues. Very well written, and I actually learned several interesting things.

- Gianni Simone

The Man Mower Man

By David Williams

The Man Mower Man - The future is a lot more than a lawnmower...man.

Outsider are and outsider writing. It makes for a funny, explosive cocktail. Don't say I didn't warn you.

- Gianni Simone

Suburban Notebook

By Margaret River

Poetry and musings from an ordinary suburban gal

The Matterhorn: truth in fiction

By Kathleen Clare Waller

fiction • word sketches • The Brunch

Kate leads us into deep-dive investigations of the endless interactions of literature and art across times, cultures, mediums, and genres. This is some serious food for thought, always engaging, always full of surprises.

- Gianni Simone

The Stone Bridge

By Stone Bridge Press

Stories, expressions, and insights from Asia, especially Japan and China.

Japan A to Z

By Hideo Tanikawa

Small tips for traveling in Japan delivered to your inbox every Sunday.

Great resource about traveling in Japan from a local guide.

- Gianni Simone

Third Time Right

By Philip Charter

Self-publishing a children's book, and getting it right this time!

Philip is a short story author who writes insightful essays on different aspects of the world of short fiction. He also shares recommendations and posts his own stories.

- Gianni Simone

MSX - The Mangasplaining Extra Newsletter

By MSX: Mangasplaining Extra

The podcast, the show notes, original articles about manga and new manga, delivered to your inbox!

There's some serious writing about manga here. An indispensable guide for manga lovers.

- Gianni Simone

The Retirement Newsletter

By Nick

How am I approaching my retirement? News, stories and tips from a recently retired academic. What could possibly go wrong?

Witty musings and helpful advice and ideas from a British guy approaching retirement.

- Gianni Simone

Dispatches from Post-growth Japan

By Sam Holden

Urbanism and stories from my renovation projects and research in Tokyo and Onomichi, Japan

For city lovers and urban explorers. You will learn how to see Japan with different eyes.

- Gianni Simone

Time Travel Kitchen

By Jolene Handy

Food, History, Chicago, New York and Beyond.

Professional baker Jolene writes beautifully about the food she loves, adding some of the history of the times when the recipes were popular along with her own reflections.

- Gianni Simone

The Global Jigsaw

By Pallavi Aiyar

Global travel, culture and politics

Writing about some of the special places where she has lived, from Beijing and Brussels to Jakarta and Tokyo, she makes you look at these cities with new lenses.

- Gianni Simone

Animation Obsessive

Exploring the best in animation from all around the world — part investigation, part treasure hunt.

There's some serious writing about animation here. An indispensable guide for animation lovers.

- Gianni Simone

Real Gaijin

By Mark Kennedy

Unveiling the Real Japan: An American Expat's Inside Look | Hot takes, commentary, and unfiltered insights on life as a foreigner in Japan.

Deep-dive presentation of interesting social and economic aspects of life in Japan. I always learn something new.

- Gianni Simone

Hungry for travel by Igor

Asia and Japan. Impressions, emotions and practical advice.

For Asia and Japan lovers, with excellent walk reports and interesting thoughts on how to enjoy life in the slow lane.

- Gianni Simone