Far Eastern Research 2025 is a fashion and culture scene report produced by Nothingness, a Tokyo-based global media platform, and marks the first release in an ongoing annual series.

Rather than serving as a trend forecast or a definitive record, the project documents one year as it unfolded within Tokyo’s fashion and cultural scene. Since the pandemic, the city has operated at an unusually high frequency—fashion launches, pop-ups, exhibitions, concerts, and informal gatherings overlapping almost daily, while designers, artists, and musicians from around the world move through Tokyo with increasing regularity.

This volume traces 2025 through concrete moments rooted in fashion and culture. It covers the global impact of visits by icons such as Travis Scott, Justin Bieber, and Ye (Kanye West), as well as pivotal moments with legendary artists like Futura and KAWS. The report highlights international brands choosing Tokyo for world-first releases and the role of local institutions like Dover Street Market Ginza as recurring points of intersection between global and domestic scenes.

Alongside international activity, the report turns its attention to Japanese fashion milestones, including:

The 35th anniversary of Undercover by Jun Takahashi.

The 30th anniversary of Neighborhood by Shinsuke Takizawa.

The wide-ranging influence of Hiroshi Fujiwara (Fragment Design).

The historic IPO of Human Made and the global reach of Verdy.

Key projects from cultural architects like Kunichi Nomura.

Furthermore, it spotlights a new wave of talent and stores—including Soshiotsuki, MASU, Proleta Re Art, and Casanova Vintage—revealing a scene shaped by overlapping layers, each evolving at its own pace.

Far Eastern Research 2025 captures only a fragment of what continues to unfold. Conceived as a long-term project, this first volume serves as a starting point to observe how Tokyo’s fashion and cultural landscape accumulates, shifts, and redefines itself over time.

Featured Figures & Brands: Travis Scott, Justin Bieber, Ye (Kanye West), Futura, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Nigo, Verdy, Kunichi Nomura, Poggy, Jun Takahashi, Shinsuke Takizawa, Kaws, Undercover, Neighborhood, Human Made, Fragment, Palace, Kith, Dover Street Market Ginza, and more.

Now available on Amazon Kindle.