Musashino Magazine (Fall 2021)
For the past several years, Ryo Takemasa, the illustrator behind the Birds of Tokyo handbook, has been illustrating the cover of the quarterly magazine Musashino. The eponymous magazine is dedicated to Musashino, a Western suburb of Tokyo along the Chuo line. Since today (September 23) is the Autumn equinox and the official beginning of Fall, we’re sharing the Autumn covers that Takemasa illustrated for the magazine.
Musashino Magazine (Fall 2020)
Musashino Magazine (Fall 2018)
For over 10 years, when I was growing up in Tokyo, I was lucky enough to call this neighborhood my home. But even for a long-term Musashino resident like myself, some of these spots are hard to identify. Of course there’s there shiyakusho (below) and the Kite Park (we just called it that) but there are plenty of nondescript locations that I vaguely recognize, or haven’t seen before at all.
It’s part of what gives the area its charm and Takemasa illustrates each with a combination of warmth and nostalgia. You can check out some of the other covers here and see more of his work on Behance.
Musashino Magazine (Fall 2017)
Musashino Magazine (Fall 2016)
Musashino Magazine (Fall 2015)
Musashino Magazine (Fall 2014)
Musashino Magazine (Autumn 2013)
