The editor of leading local Japanese lifestyle magazines WAttention and Mangosteen Club, AyakoFuruya Sogo, shares his insights into the Japanese community in Singapore.

Who are your magazines for?

Mangosteen Club caters to Japanese residents in Singapore while WAttention is an English magazine which promotes Japanese tourism. It covers Japanese culture and must-go-to-places in Japan as well as some establishments like restaurants or hair salons in Singapore where you can have experiences and services as if you were in Japan. We also organize events such as sake tastings, beauty talk shows, yoga sessions and cooking classes for our readers.

What do the local Japanese community regularly get up to here?

There are about 30,000 Japanese living here. The Japanese Association in Singapore is one of most active organizations operating out of Japan as it constantly organizes arts performances, concerts and seminars for both its members and public. Our readers are constantly on the lookout for new F&B outlets. And of course Meidi-ya and Kinokuniya Bookstore are their all-time favourite hangouts.

What are some your personal F&B recommendations then for our readers?

For restaurants, Hide Yamamoto, Sushi Ichi, Kumo, Chikuyotei, Niji and newly opened Ten are must-tries. Over at Lau Pa Sat, you will also be able to find down-to-earth Japanese dishes like udon or donburi at very affordable prices with fine quality. As most Japanese are obsessed with Japanese rice, an online shop called TawarayaGenbei is quite popular among Japanese residents here as it supplies a few good quality Japanese rice varieties directly flown in from Japan.

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