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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, The Japan Times, Gulf News, Tokyo Weekender, etc.

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

Contact me at gabrielledoman@gmail.com

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...
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 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 •

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...
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...
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...
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,...

Japan's Longevity Quest: Embark on a Journey to Prolonged Health and Wellbeing in Japan's Advanced Medical Landscape

The world’s wealthiest have conquered social media, e-commerce, search engines, AI and space travel, so it’s no surprise that their attentions have turned to that most alluring of quests; living longer and better lives. Prominent billionaires are chasing longevity. Former Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, is known for his strict health regime of eating one meal a day, taking ice baths and meditating. Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman are both investors in biotech start-ups that aim to...
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...
Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, •

A strategic partnership

Visits by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to Germany in February 2008, and General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, paying a visit to Chancellor Angela Merkel in January 2009, helped to cement this strong bond between the two nations. The exchange of high-ranking visitors from both nations has been frequent over the years.Relatio...
Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, •

Helping you take care of business

With every square foot of office space at a premium in the UAE, it's vital to make the most of your work area. During tough financial times, cost-cutting solutions should be embraced by management too. Multi-functional devices are a good way of both saving space and curbing any excess outgoings. In a small working corporation, the difference is all the more marked and any savings — both spatial and economic — can add up."Multi-functional machines are certainly more cost effective when compared t...
Gulf News: Latest UAE news, Dubai news, Business, •

Pakistani fashion to the world

Umar Sayeed, a Pakistani designer of bridal and formal wear, agrees. "Dubai is one of the emerging fashion capitals of the world. It offers a huge opportunity to expand and also to learn. The emirate has a very high population of stylish people. Also, it is a truly cosmopolitan city where one gets the challenge to appeal to a gigantic spectrum of tastes keeping one's own signature intact. And those who wear stylish and beautiful clothes will always do so. "The current economic scenario may reduc...
Khaleej Times •

Awesome Oslo

Luxury on a budget is a savvy traveller’s dream, so with just Dh2,000 in our wallets, my sister and I set out to squeeze every last drop out of Oslo.Prices in Oslo can be surprising. It’s not unusual to pay the equivalent of Dh36 for a mere bottle of water in a supermarket or Dh40 for a slice of pizza from a street vendor. To take the sting out of at least a few of our transactions, we paid out for an Oslo pass, available at convenience stores. Lasting either 24, 48 or 72 hours, they cover the f...
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