Home Contact

Gabrielle Doman-Kishi

Tokyo-based freelance journalist, copywriter and PR. I write for content agencies, national newspapers, lifestyle magazines, corporates etc. In my 20-plus years of writing, I have worked in the UK, UAE, Cambodia, Thailand, the Netherlands and Japan.

Bylines include: Wallpaper*, The Independent, Decanter, The Japan Times, Gulf News, Tokyo Weekender, etc.

I like writing about travel, people, traditional crafts, fashion, beauty, music, podcasts, drinks, sustainable projects, thrifting, and pop culture. 

Contact me at gabrielledoman@gmail.com

The Japan Times •

One bolt, ¥400,000: Why Japan’s Oshima ‘tsumugi’ silk costs a pretty penny

At first glance, the patterns running across a bolt of Oshima tsumugi could be mistaken for a print. But on closer inspection, they are part of the silk’s construction: threads meticulously dyed before weaving, then painstakingly aligned on a loom.“It’s almost mathematical,” says Mark McNulty, former sales and marketing specialist at kimono boutique Ginza Motoji. “It has to line up perfectly. “You don’t just weave, weave, weave. You have to completely adjust.”Originally made by artisans on Amami...
Wallpaper* •

Take a turn around Tokyo’s most ambitious record shop

Kameari, in Tokyo’s east, is not one of the city’s most well-known districts, but the Skwat Kameari Art Centre (SKAC), led by architect Keisuke Nakamura, is hoping to rewrite this narrative. At its heart is Vinyl Delivery Service (VDS), a record store founded by Rintaro Sekizuka, whose interest in music, sustainability and community is reshaping vinyl culture as a vehicle for local renewal and ecological consciousness.When Sekizuka opened VDS in its former central location at Shinjuku Gyoen in 2...
The Japan Times •

At Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo, tomorrow’s runway icons shine

Inside Shibuya Hikarie Hall on the afternoon of Aug. 31, a Mongolian ger (large yurt) dominates the space. Around it, models in earth tones, gossamer-thin layers, technical outerwear, braided cords and intricately constructed garments stalk along a square runway with guests seated on all four sides.Then the lights go out and fluorescent footprints appear across the floor. Designer Yoshio Kubo emerges to take a bow, a black light illuminating his face painted a fluorescent green.It was an appropr...
Decanter •

The winery five kilometres from Fukushima Daiichi – a regeneration story

Tomioka in Fukushima is unlikely to appear on most travellers’ Japan itineraries, but the winemakers behind Tomioka Winery hope that, within a generation or two, it will be.Fifteen years ago, this coastal town was devastated by the tsunami that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake and was entirely evacuated after the subsequent nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi, just five kilometres away.A curious spot for a vineyard, but Tomioka Winery’s founder and president, Shubun Endo, is determined...
The Japan Times •

Japan’s brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music

Japan has long experimented with the role of sound in fermentation.For centuries, sake brewers sang motosuri-uta, rhythmic work songs performed while grinding rice and preparing yeast starters. The songs synchronized the movements of brewery workers, kept them warm through the depths of winter and boosted morale. Folklore also held that workers would speak to the microorganisms in the kōji (rice inoculated with kōjikin mold), encouraging healthy fermentation.Today, that tradition is being revisi...
The Independent •

Why Japanese toji water therapy is the wellness trend you need to know about for 2024

Tis the season for punishing rituals, like glugging litres of water each day, embarking on military-level exercise challenges and vowing to plunge your semi-naked body into icy water in the name of recovery.Ice baths have become inextricably linked with fitness, grit and determination, driven in no small part by Dutch motivational speaker, Wim Hof, dubbed the Iceman. He is a proponent of controlled breathing techniques, regular ice baths and cold water immersion, which he claims helps with fat l...
The Independent •

High fashion: What’s it like to rent your entire holiday wardrobe from an airline?

Travelling with only a tiny carry-on suitcase for a long-haul flight is a flex. It’s freedom. It’s relaxing on your flight without worrying that your belongings will be held up in transit. It’s breezing past baggage claim while weary passengers wait for their cases to trundle onto the carousel. It’s hopping from city to city with nary an escalator or flight of stairs you can’t handle. But it’s also a small measure travellers can take to pack lighter, thus reducing their flight’s CO2 emissions, a...
The Japan Times •

Global demand is reshaping secondhand fashion in Japan

For decades, Tokyo’s fashion scene has held a certain cultural cachet among sartorial enthusiasts. Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, Comme des Garcons, Kenzo, Sacai and Junya Watanabe — innumerable brands have helped define Japan’s global fashion identity, but so, too, have Harajuku-inspired subcultures, avant-garde streetwear aesthetics and an overall ethos of impeccable craftsmanship.However, accelerated by social media, an increasingly weakening yen, a record-breaking tourism boom and the rise of...
The Japan Times •

Japanese nail salons are tourists’ new obsession

If you’re an A-list celebrity wanting an eye-popping look for your nails, odds are getting better every day that your nail artist will be Japanese.Based in New York, Mei Kawajiri does the nails of stars like Dua Lipa, Addison Rae, Jennie of K-pop fame and Spanish singer Rosalia. From Los Angeles, self-styled Britney Tokyo works with the likes of Gwen Stefani, Hailey Bieber and Doechii, just as fellow LA transplant Miho Okawara fixes up the cuticles of Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Beyonce herself.M...
The Japan Times •

Museum of Narratives is rife with possibilities

Near Takanawa Gateway Station, the natural, undulating lines of Kengo Kuma & Associates’ architecture stand out in an area otherwise dominated by boxy high-rises of glass and steel. This sculptural building houses the Museum of Narratives (MoN) Takanawa, located within the new Takanawa Gateway City commercial and business complex, which opened on March 28. The museum has exhibitions, installations and performances that span traditional practices including tea ceremony and paper-cutting and conte...
Deeper Japan •

The Legends and Literature Behind Wagashi — Deeper Japan

From its humble origins as simple nuts and rice cakes in the Jomon era, wagashi has evolved alongside Japan’s cultural history into handcrafted confections that celebrate the seasons, aesthetics, and deeper narratives of everyday life. Serving more than just sweetness, wagashi have long accompanied tea rituals and poetry, appearing in classical literature, temple offerings, and roadside stalls, each morsel entwined with folklore, feudal tradition, and artistry.There are many legends about the or...
The Japan Times •

Tokyo’s vinyl experts say overseas buyers are ‘sustaining the scene’

For all the millions of tourists flowing into Japan, what are the most popular souvenirs they’re bringing back home? Tea, omamori charms and bottles of rare whisky are perennial favorites, but there’s a new hot item that overseas visitors are increasingly eager to snap up: vinyl records.By some metrics, Tokyo boasts the highest number of record shops of any nation’s capital at 93, and valuations for global vinyl record sales stand at $1.9 billion, according to market research company, Imarc Grou...
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) •

Protecting Nature and Traditions: Regional Tourism in Higashimatsushima and Tono | Sustainable Travel Experiences in JAPAN | JNTO

In the Tohoku region, various efforts are being made to protect nature and tradition while working toward a sustainable society. After recovering from the disaster, Higashimatsushima City in Miyagi Prefecture has been developing eco-tourism that leverages the region’s unique attractions, contributing to the creation of a sustainable tourism destination. Meanwhile, in Tono City, Iwate Prefecture, tourism focused on the region's history and culture is gaining attention. The natural environment, fo...
The Nippon Foundation •

From Streets to the Sea: How The Nippon Foundation Turns Cleanup into a National Movement | The Nippon Foundation

On a warm Saturday morning in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro district, superheroes, anime characters, and fantasy warriors gather. Many wear wigs and elaborate costumes, or carry oversized props. But instead of posing for photographs for enthralled onlookers who have gathered to see the spectacle, they reach for litter pickers and rubbish bags.

For the next hour, the cosplayers fill the surrounding streets, collecting cigarette butts from pavements, plastic wrappers, and discarded drink bottles hidden in bu...
The Nippon Foundation •

Autonomous Seas: Protecting Lives and Strengthening Japan’s Maritime Future | The Nippon Foundation

Maritime logistics worldwide are under mounting systemic strain. In Japan, persistent labor shortages due to the population decline are impacting the domestic shipping sector, where a majority of crew members are now in their 50s. Japan is also home to approximately 400 inhabited remote islands, many of which depend entirely on coastal supply chains for everyday life. As workforce shortages intensify, maintaining regular logistics and transportation to these islands is becoming increasingly diff...
Tokyo Weekender •

The Timeless Swag of Japanese Tabi Shoes

2023 was the year of the tabi shoe. Specifically the Maison Margiela Tabi. Celebrities including Dua Lipa, Nick Jonas, Cardi B, Chlöe Sevigny and Pedro Pascal all sported the hoof-like split-toe footwear this year. But perhaps the most powerful marketing tool for the shoe was a viral TikTok in September, when a woman shared on the platform that her Tinder date, dubbed “the Tabi Swiper,” had stolen her pair worth around ¥150,000. It was viewed more than 178 million times and prompted a staggering...
Tokyo Weekender •

Strongirls Festival: Muscular Women Raising the Bar in Japan

Colorful balloons, a DJ spinning bops and the buzz of anticipation at Yokohama’s PRagmatic Academy on a public holiday in November: it looked like the setting for a lively party. Yet, despite appearances, it was the scene of Japan’s second Strongirls Strength Festival, a women’s powerlifting competition (known as a meet), where 39 women of all ages, sizes and abilities tested their strength in three lifts; squats, bench presses and deadlifts.

This welcoming and joyful atmosphere has been delibe
TOKYO UPDATES [The Official Information Website of •

Tokyo's Vinyl Experts Say Overseas Buyers Are "Sustaining the Scene" | TOKYO UPDATES [The Official Information Website of Tokyo Metropolitan Government]

The Record Industry Association of Japan says that 2023 saw the number of analogue records produced jump 26% from the previous year. Imarc Group expects this growth to continue, projecting the Japanese vinyl market will grow from $85.5 million in 2024 to $165.3 million by 2033. Tower Records' flagship store in Shibuya reflected this optimism for analogue by unveiling its refurbished record floor in February 2024, which had almost doubled in size to cater for the growing numbers of international...
Tokyo Weekender •

How Japan Became a Go-To Destination for Body Contouring and Other Nonsurgical Treatments

Aesthetic treatments are in huge demand in Japan, and the industry is projected to grow even more over the next few years. High standards of care and hospitality have garnered global recognition and made quick, nonsurgical procedures a popular addition to some Tokyo itineraries. 
While places like South Korea have long been associated with high-quality cosmetic surgery, Japan is quietly carving out a niche in the realm of nonsurgical procedures. These treatments typically require less downtime a...
Tokyo Weekender •

Aesthetic Medicine in Japan: Body Contouring and Non-Invasive Treatments

With its reputation for hospitality, high-quality care and cutting-edge technology, Japan is becoming one of the world’s leading destinations for aesthetic procedures. The current favorable exchange rates have further driven its appeal as a prime location for affordable and reliable treatments. 
Among these, a popular procedure is Cryolipolysis* — more colloquially known as fat-freezing — a nonsurgical body-contouring treatment that aims to provide patients with targeted fat reduction. The proce...
Metropolis Japan •

Exploring Mitsuiboshi Kaido | Travel | Metropolis Japan

The very idea of overtourism—the crowds, the queues, the imposition on locals—makes me feel a little queasy. As record-breaking numbers of tourists continue to arrive in Japan, some of us head in the opposite direction. We avoid the well-worn Golden Route (Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka) and venture into the quieter pockets of Japan. The Mitsuiboshi Kaido, or Three Star Road, is a great pick for intrepid travellers.


This lesser-known route connects Kanazawa, Gokayama, Shirakawa-go,...

Forest Bathing in Japan’s National Parks

Reconnecting with nature is one of the simplest ways you can achieve balance. Forest bathing, the Japanese method of meditating in nature, is prescribed by doctors for its health-boosting qualities. If you’ve ever taken the scenic route home after a long day at work or gone for a long walk to destress, then you’re already familiar with the healing power of surrounding yourself with nature. This premise brought about the Japanese pastime of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. The idea is simple: lea
Load More

Contact Me

My inbox is always open, you can contact me with the contact form here