Itoshima – One of the Most Liveable Small Cities in the World
Monocle magazine and I agree on a lot of things. Ever since I flipped through its first issue in February 2007, I’ve felt like it’s one of very few Western media that really ‘get’ Japan. I was convinced of that when Monocle first named Fukuoka one of the world’s 25 most liveable cities. The ranking debuted in 2008 – with Fukuoka at number 17 – and the city has featured every year since. The magazine seemed to recognize what I already knew and was trying to tell others. Ever since I moved to Fukuoka in 1990 and launched English-language entertainment magazine RADAR three years later, part of my mission has always been to show the world what a great place Fukuoka is.