As announced at the end of last year, Time Out Tokyo has a new Acting Editor-in-Chief: Marcus Webb. Marcus is what you might call a Time Out veteran: he served as Global Editor-in-Chief at Time Out London until 2016 and has been assisting us here in Tokyo as content director at Original Inc., the operator of Time Out Tokyo, for many years.
He is also the founder of the Slow Journalism Company, publisher of the slow journalism magazine Delayed Gratification, and a four-time (2016, 2019, 2023 and 2024) recipient of the Independent Editor of The Year award presented by the British Society of Magazine Editors.
On January 21, we hosted a welcome party for Marcus and his Slow Journalism colleague Rob Orchard at Tokyu Plaza Harajuku Harakado’s Baby the Coffee Brew Club.
At the event, Marcus and Rob shared their views on a number of topics concerning the future of Time Out Tokyo and media in general. They talked about what to look forward to with Time Out Market Osaka slated to open in March 2025, as well as issues like overtourism and the state of print in an age of smartphones and endless social media scrolling.
Concerning the upcoming opening of Time Out Market at the Grand Green Osaka development in the heart of Japan’s second city, Marcus was upbeat about the market’s potential to become a cultural and culinary hub for Osaka. He spoke about his experience with opening Time Out’s first Market in Lisbon in 2014, pointing to how the Lisbon market has become one of the most popular attractions in the city.
On the topic of overtourism, Marcus and Rob talked about how cities around the world, increasingly becoming places for tourists, are reducing their appeal to local residents. They noted the role media outlets can play in reducing friction between locals and tourists. With Japan expected to welcome 40 million visitors from abroad this year, Marcus pointed out that media with local expertise can help build trust on both sides by covering things like manners and cultural differences without seeming preachy.
As for the state of print media, Marcus and Rob expressed hope that magazines will continue to serve a purpose in the digital age, with Rob comparing print magazines to vinyl records. While new and more convenient mediums now exist, from websites to short-form social media, there will always be a demand for tangible ways to enjoy carefully curated content in print form. He went on to explain the benefits of print, such as its limits on the amount of information that can be included, which mitigates information overload and allows for thoughtful curation.
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