TW Digest

October 15, 2026

The photographer Tomoko Sawada was recently part of a landmark exhibition in Tokyo, which is how I first came across her. Her work is unlike anything else I’ve ever seen — she’s taken hundreds of portraits of herself, making subtle but profound alterations to her hair, makeup, clothes and expression each time. At the heart of her work is a simple question: How much can we tell about someone from their appearance?

Also in this week’s newsletter: a look at why so many Japanese women get divorced late in life; the Tokyo barbershop that cut the emperor’s hair for three generations closes after 144 years; how to spend a perfect day in Tokyo with Instagram icon k.fel.

— Callie Beusman, Editorial Director

The story we can’t stop talking about this week:

Outside a subway station in Kobe, a young woman feeds a few coins into an automated photo booth. She adjusts the stool, faces the lens and waits for the flash; minutes later, the machine spits out a strip of black-and-white ID photos, still damp with ink. Over the next year, she repeats this exact ritual hundreds of times — in wigs, in glasses, in heavier and lighter makeup, in expressions that range from vacant stares to polite smiles.

The resulting passport-style portraits form ID 400 (1998), a dizzying grid of strangers who are all actually the same woman: Tomoko Sawada.

The stories, trends, events, etc. on our minds

☆ Japan’s late-in-life divorces have reached a record share — and, anecdotally, women are far more likely to initiate. One counselor estimates that women initiate 70% to 80% of the late-life separations she encounters. The reasons are myriad.

☆ The end of an era: After 144 years, the barbershop that cut the emperor’s hair for three generations has filed for bankruptcy.

☆ An interview with Masafumi Watanabe, one of the founding members of the cult 90s streetwear Tenderloin and the mastermind behind Bedwin, his own fashion label, on style, substance and what it was like living in the golden age of streetwear.

☆ The new edition of our Perfect Days column is here, featuring Instagram legend k.fel. Her perfect day in Tokyo involves sweet treats, shopping for limited-edition anime goods and a dance party.

☆ Have you ever wanted to purchase antique kimono by the gram? Now you can, at a specialized store that recently opened in Yanaka Ginza.

What the TW team is checking out this week

This week, I have a lot of chic restaurant recommendations for you. (I didn’t ask for that, specifically, it’s just what everyone happens to be doing…) Eugenie mentioned Une Pincée near Tokyo Tower: “It’s a tiny, cozy Michelin Guide French restaurant with mostly counter seats and an open kitchen. One of my favorites in the city.”

Wakaba, who has been “on a hunt for good, pretentious Dimes Square-coded natty wine lately” has three recommendations that fit that description: Haku, Neo and Hone, all in Shinsen.

As for art events, Eugenie notes that the T3 Photo Festival is ongoing until October 26, taking place across Yaesu, Kyobashi, Nihombashi and Ginza. This weekend is its art fair portion, T3 Photo Asia, where you can purchase photographs from galleries throughout Asia.

When I asked Annie what she plans to do, she just sent me a link to Shota Yamauchi’s solo exhibition at CON_, and later followed up with an Instagram post from the show that shows a highly realistic sculpture of an armpit spraying sweat everywhere.

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