Editor Doug Breath Circulation 52,000 | Frequency Monthly Publisher Carter Witt | |
Categories Newsmagazine, Local interest magazine First issue April 1990 (as The Alien) | ||
Japanzine is a Japan-based English-language magazine, published by Carter Witt Media. Now 20 years in publication, it is the successor magazine to The Alien and caters largely to the expatriate community in Japan. Each edition of the magazine contains a map of various Japanese cities and an entertainment guide, as well as several articles - both satirical and serious - on Japanese life. The comic strip character Charisma Man first appeared in The Alien and later in Japanzine.
In May 2008 the magazine introduced Gaijin Sounds, a national music competition for foreign artists in Japan, due to the lack of press coverage given to "home-grown" artists . Twelve artists from around Japan were selected as winners with music ranging from techno to indie-pop to rap. The popularity of the contest meant another competition, Gaijin Sounds Vol. 2, was launched the following year, featuring in the May 2009 issue. The competition soon expanded to the live arena, with 2 live "finals" in Osaka and Tokyo in autumn 2009, featuring over 8 bands such as Fukuoka outfit, Nanbanjin; Tokyo-based Kev Gray & The Gravy Train - both who had won the award twice - and the former Matsuyama indie rock band The Watanabes, also based in Tokyo.
The competition returned in 2010, where winners included Andy Tyrone Rogers and The Mootekkis, who featured on the cover.
In 2011, Japanzine opened up the competition to all-Japanese line-ups with a national Battle of the Bands contest.