Kansai Time Out Closing Down

[FG Lurker]

The September 2009 issue will be the last issue of the KTO.

When I first arrived here in 1993 it was the only English magazine published in and about Kansai. I (and pretty much everyone I knew) bought it monthly, it was always a great source of information and classified ads.

I don't get into the book stores all that often these days so I don't buy all that many copies of the KTO. I'm sad to see it close all the same, definitely a loss to the Kansai foreign community.

http://www.kto.co.jp/current_issue.html

[Level3]

I suppose the main reason is the Internet, and places like FG!
We don't really "need" to buy a magazine to get a dose of Japan news and commentary.

Not that I'm complaining, though!

Add in the post-Nova fallout, fewer KTO-buying noobs coming in, and the rise of the IMHO more-entertaining free papers (Kansai Scene) with more useful information for the newbies on local things, and I was wondering how KTO was managing to keep publishing.

I used to buy KTO every month as well, but one day I just kinda noticed "Wow, this is basically just a bunch of not-very-interesting leftist opinion pieces on fairly obscure topics. Why am I paying for this echo chamber in paper form?" There would be about 1 "useful" article in each issue and 2 or 3 more masquerading as such, but of questionable veracity. Not worth 300 yen for a single good page buried amoungst a bunch of articles that always seemed to work in a snipe at George Bush, no matter the topic: politics, movies, cooking...
[no love for Bush myself, but it could almost have been a drinking game.]

Well, I hope the staff move on to better things. At least it was better than the Japan Times.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

It's sad to see KTO go...it was a great read in its day.
But I must say I'm surprised that there's still any English language media surviving in Japan in this day and age. I fear that KTO may not be the last of these old icons to go.

[bolt_krank]

It had its moments, but I prefered Kansai scene.

[dimwit]

When I was a younger and had to head up to Osaka, being a cluelless Shikokuite I found it a good source of info about what was going on. Pity.

[Cyka UchuuJin]

It had its moments, but I prefered Kansai scene.

same. why buy a magazine for 300\ when there was kansai scene and japanzine for free. it was all the same adverts and gig listings i was looking for anyway.

[IkemenTommy]

same. why buy a magazine for 300\ when there was kansai scene and japanzine for free. it was all the same adverts and gig listings i was looking for anyway.

Why pay for crap when there's bigger crap on FG.com for FREE!!!

[Stewie]

Would anyone happen to have the July and/or August 1994 issues of Kansai Time Out? Might be willing to pay for them if you do!