Metropolis
Metropolis is a Tokyo-based English-language media company publishing a quarterly print magazine and daily digital platform since 1994, serving Tokyo's expatriate community and international visitors through free distribution at approximately 900 locations and advertising-supported revenue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Metropolis does
Metropolis is a Tokyo-based English-language media company that has operated continuously since 1994 (originally launched as Tokyo Classified). It publishes a quarterly print magazine distributed free of charge at approximately 900 locations across Tokyo and the Kanto region, with roughly 30,000 copies circulated monthly through hotels, foreign embassies, restaurants, bookstores, and coworking spaces. Its digital platform, metropolisjapan.com, publishes daily editorial content covering culture, dining, events, living, and travel across all major Japanese regions, complemented by a weekly email newsletter and a free online archive of magazine issues from 2014 through 2026. The company also runs an adjacent real-estate sub-brand, MetroHomes.
The underlying technology stack is a standard WordPress content management system with programmatic advertising integrated through Mediavine as a third-party ad server, plus a marker-based augmented-reality feature overlaid on print issues. Distribution combines a physical retail/hospitality network (hotel chains, embassy compounds, international clubs, restaurants, bookstores, convenience stores) with digital self-serve access to archived content. Marketing channels span Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, Spotify podcast, and partner cross-promotion with Japan Travel and AKIYA2.0.
Revenue is generated entirely from advertising and commercial content licensing; the publication is free to readers. The four revenue streams are print advertising placements, digital advertising, sponsored editorial content, and commercial reuse licensing of magazine content and photographs. Pricing is quote-based with multi-year contract cadences for advertising packages, while licensing is negotiated case-by-case. The customer base comprises advertisers (hotels, restaurants, tourism boards, agencies, event organizers) targeting the international community in Tokyo, with named clients including ANA Intercontinental, Grand Hyatt Tokyo, Air France/KLM, the US Embassy, and Tokyo American Club. The company is privately held by Japan Partnership Holdings Inc., employs 11–50 people, and has not disclosed external institutional funding.
Metropolis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Metropolis
- Legal name
- Japan Partnership Holdings Inc.
- Website
- https://metropolisjapan.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Metropolis is a Tokyo-based English-language media company publishing a quarterly print magazine and daily digital platform since 1994, serving Tokyo's expatriate community and international visitors through free distribution at approximately 900 locations and advertising-supported revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Metropolis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- English-Language Lifestyle Media
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership) (MPAJAMAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Newsstand & Single-Copy Distribution (MPAJAKAC), Magazine & Newspaper Subscriptions / Delivery Retail (CRALAAAH)
Keywords
Where Metropolis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Metropolis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Print Advertising: Full-page, half-page, and fraction advertising placements in monthly print magazine distributed across 900+ Tokyo locations
- Digital Advertising: Banner advertisements, sponsored articles, web content, and social media promotions on the Metropolis Japan website and social media platforms reaching global online audience
- Sponsored Content: Native advertising through branded editorial content and partnership articles that blend with regular editorial content
- Licensing and Permissions: Commercial licensing fees for reuse of magazine content, photographs, and articles for profit or commercial purposes
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Digital advertising packages (web banners, sponsored content, social media promotions) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Print advertising placements (full-page, half-page, fraction ads) |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Commercial content licensing (reproduction, redistribution, republishing) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
Metropolis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Metropolis publishes a free quarterly English-language print magazine (formerly Tokyo Classified) and operates the companion digital platform metropolisjapan.com, delivering editorial content on Tokyo culture, dining, events, travel, and lifestyle for the international community. Revenue is generated through print and digital advertising placements, sponsored content, and commercial content licensing.
Product overview
Metropolis is a multi-platform English-language media company consisting of a print magazine (published quarterly since 1994), a companion website (metropolisjapan.com) providing daily editorial content, and a weekly email newsletter. The portfolio also includes digital and print advertising solutions for businesses targeting Tokyo's international community. The print magazine and digital platform operate as a unified offering, with the magazine serving as the flagship print product and the website serving as the daily-updated digital hub for lifestyle and cultural content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Metropolis Magazine An English-language print lifestyle magazine covering Japanese culture, travel, dining, events, and lifestyle. Distributed free of charge to English-speaking residents and visitors in Tokyo and the Kanto region through major hotels, restaurants, embassies, bookstores, and cultural venues.
- Metropolis Website (metropolisjapan.com) The online digital platform accompanying the print magazine, providing daily news articles, event listings, restaurant guides, travel recommendations, and culture coverage for English-speaking residents and visitors in Tokyo.
- Metropolis Newsletter A weekly email digest delivering curated Tokyo news, stories, and events to subscribers, curated by the editorial team.
- Digital and Print Advertising Solutions Advertising products including digital ads, print ads, sponsored articles, and social media promotions offered to brands, agencies, tourism boards, restaurants, and hotels seeking to reach Tokyo's English-speaking international community.
Companies that use Metropolis
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Metropolis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Metropolis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Japan Partnership Holdings Inc.coreParent company that owns and operates Metropolis Magazine. Japan Partnership Holdings is the legal entity behind the publication, responsible for overall business operations, content licensing, and corporate governance.
- Japan TravelminorStrategic content partnership with Japan Travel platform. Mutual audience-sharing arrangement where both platforms benefit from cross-promotion of travel and lifestyle content to their respective readerships.
- AKIYA2.0minorPartnership with AKIYA2.0 platform focusing on real estate and lifestyle content synergy. Cross-promotional relationship targeting audiences interested in Japan property and lifestyle.
- MetroHomesminorRelated platform under the Metropolis ecosystem focusing on housing and real estate listings for the international community in Japan.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Metropolis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Time Out Tokyo: Time Out Tokyo is the local edition of Time Out's global English-language city guide brand, directly competing with Metropolis as an English-language Tokyo events, dining, and culture publication targeting residents and visitors. Both monetize through print and digital advertising to tourism, hospitality, and lifestyle advertisers.
- Tokyo Weekender: Tokyo Weekender is a long-running English-language magazine and website covering Tokyo culture, dining, nightlife, and events for the international community. It is among the closest direct competitors to Metropolis in both editorial scope and English-language Tokyo audience targeting.
- Savvy Tokyo: Savvy Tokyo is a digital-first English-language media platform serving the international community in Tokyo with content on lifestyle, dining, family, and events. It is a direct competitor for digital advertising share and audience engagement with Metropolis' online platform.
- GaijinPot: GaijinPot is an English-language media platform serving foreign residents in Japan with content on jobs, housing, lifestyle, and community. It overlaps with Metropolis' audience (international residents in Japan) and competes for English-language lifestyle and services advertising spend.
- All About Japan: All About Japan is an English-language media platform covering Japanese culture, travel, food, and lifestyle, with strong tourism and travel content. It competes with Metropolis for international visitor and resident readership and for tourism/hospitality advertising.
Broad incumbents
- Japan Times: The Japan Times is Japan's largest English-language newspaper, offering broad news coverage alongside lifestyle and cultural content. It is a broader incumbent that competes with Metropolis for English-speaking reader attention and English-language advertising budgets in Japan, though its primary focus is news rather than lifestyle/events.
- Japan Today: Japan Today is a long-running English-language news and lifestyle platform in Japan with a large resident readership. It competes for English-speaking Japan-based readers and advertising budgets, though it covers broader Japan news rather than Tokyo lifestyle specifically.
Emerging players
- SoraNews24: SoraNews24 is a digital-first English-language news and culture site covering Japan, part of the RocketNews24/Japan Today media network. It competes for international reader attention and English-language digital advertising in Japan, though its format is more news/feature-driven than events-focused.
- Tokyo Cheapo: Tokyo Cheapo is an English-language Tokyo-focused website covering events, dining, and budget lifestyle content for residents and visitors. It is a digital-native competitor targeting similar audience segments to Metropolis, with a stronger budget-traveler angle.
Others
- Time Out Market: Time Out Market is the food hall and curated-market extension of the Time Out media brand, representing how a comparable city-guide media business extends into physical hospitality experiences. Relevant as an ecosystem-expansion comparable for Metropolis' potential move into events and venue partnerships.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Metropolis social profiles
Digital presenceMetropolis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Metropolis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Metropolis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Metropolis M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Metropolis
What does Metropolis do?
Metropolis publishes a free quarterly English-language print magazine (formerly Tokyo Classified) and operates the companion digital platform metropolisjapan.com, delivering editorial content on Tokyo culture, dining, events, travel, and lifestyle for the international community. Revenue is generated through print and digital advertising placements, sponsored content, and commercial content licensing.
Is Metropolis a public or private company?
Metropolis is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Metropolis founded?
Metropolis was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Metropolis based?
Metropolis is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Metropolis make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Print Advertising is the primary driver. The others are digital Advertising, sponsored Content and licensing and Permissions.
Who are Metropolis's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Time Out Tokyo, Tokyo Weekender, Savvy Tokyo, GaijinPot and All About Japan. Broad incumbents are Japan Times and Japan Today. Emerging players are SoraNews24 and Tokyo Cheapo. Time Out Market is listed as an others.
Does Metropolis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Metropolis.
What industry is Metropolis in?
Metropolis's product category is English-Language Lifestyle Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAMAD, Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership), with a secondary code of MPAJAKAC, Newsstand & Single-Copy Distribution. Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.