THE MOST MEMORABLE of human endeavors can be summed up within a few words: man reaches moon. Jackson moonwalks. Komaba Times publishes Issue 10.
In this special anniversary issue, we capture a collective journey through inertia–a resistance to change. Although we chose this theme before the pandemic, it became all the more apt as we quarantined ourselves, suspending any continuation of normal life. Some inertias affect the entire world, while others are contained within the dormitory rooms and 1K apartments which have become our cells.
Inertia can also describe objects that keep moving after they “stop”. This year, through these unusual times, we’ve grown from a small, dedicated team of 8 to having 30 members and counting. Our first graphics team painstakingly created each lovely spread you’ll see. Our new business team distributed this magazine to schools and organizations all over the world. Our innovative translations department bridged the gap between the English-speaking and Japanese-speaking population at UTokyo.
We are also marking this anniversary issue through a special collaboration with The New York Times. We hope to not only enrich our magazine with the global coverage of the renowned publication, but also to poke our toes in the water and see how we dance with the best of them.
Featured articles from Todai Shimbun, our university’s longest-running newspaper, further exhibit our hybrid identity. What better way to represent a thriving but almost-unrepresented bilingual audience than to feature both English and Japanese content in our pages?
We’ve also revamped our magazine sections to reflect our new editorial direction. “Komaba” is the canvas of our collective student experiences within our immediate local communities. “Social” tackles the problems we see in the world head on, sharpening unformed opinions into thought-out plans for change. “Culture” concerns all that we enjoy and consume, reflecting on the essence of our favorite pastimes and media. “Creative” serves as the outlet for artistic, poetic, and photographic expression beyond things grounded in mundane reality.
Combined, they give what we’ve always needed as students at UTokyo. We’re not just a combination of majors and classes–we also represent a critical movement of artistic, irresponsible, optimistic, introspective, and future-changing youth.
We hope you enjoy reading this issue!
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