Tokyo has been an important city in our research for over a decade, one in which Brownbook magazine has also been gaining a steady following in Japan. As individuals from the Middle East, we had always perceived Japan as a world apart until our explorations revealed many similarities in customs and influences between the two cultures.
The best example is a concept that is difficult to convey in English but becomes clearer when translated directly from Arabic to Japanese, free from any intermediary languages. Known as omotenashi (?????) in Japanese, it embodies the purest essence of kindness, hospitality and genuine welcome—giving without expecting anything in return. In the Arab world, this same principle is captured in the term marhabani (???????).
With this same idea, we welcome you to a new issue of Brownbook. As we return from a hiatus and enter our
16th year of publication, we have chosen a theme that explores the Middle Eastern diaspora in Japan. The relationship between the East and the West has been discussed
extensively; we wanted to share stories that reflect relations between the East and the Middle East.What does the image of the region look like in Japan?
This new edition delves into the experiences of individuals from both cultures, including artists, architects and fashion designers who have chosen to reside in Tokyo and produced works that exemplify and examine a shared identity between the two regions. Japanese designers incorporate Middle Eastern influences into their work; the energy of Tokyo inspires middle Eastern artists.
The Tokyo Issue of Brownbook is the beginning of a new series of biannual editions documenting how the cultures of the Middle East exist, evolve and integrate around the world.