Time Out Tokyo
Time Out Tokyo is the Japanese edition of the global Time Out media brand, providing curated city guides, restaurant recommendations, and cultural coverage for Tokyo and Osaka residents and visitors via digital platforms, a print/digital magazine, and the Time Out Market Osaka food hall.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Time Out Tokyo does
Time Out Tokyo is the Japanese edition of the global Time Out media brand, operated by Time Out England Limited, a subsidiary of privately held Time Out Group Plc headquartered in London. The company provides curated city guides for Tokyo and Osaka through a Japanese-language digital platform (timeout.jp), covering restaurants, cafes, hotels, nightlife, film, art, music, travel, shopping, and neighborhood-level editorial content. Its core products are the Time Out Tokyo/Osaka websites, an iPhone mobile application, the Time Out Japan Magazine in print and digital formats (distributed via subscription including through fujisan.co.jp), specialty guide maps, and Time Out Market Osaka, a physical food hall destination featuring 17 kitchens and chefs.
The underlying technology is a digital media publishing platform with content management for city guides, restaurant listings, event calendars, and cultural coverage, supplemented by editorial archive depth accumulated over years of Japan coverage. The company does not disclose any proprietary AI/ML capabilities, and its competitive differentiation rests on human editorial curation, brand authority, and the global Time Out rankings (e.g., World's Coolest Neighborhoods, Best Cities).
Time Out Tokyo's business model is multi-stream and primarily B2C: advertising and partner content sales on the website, recurring revenue from print and digital magazine subscriptions, iPhone app subscriptions, one-time guide map sales, and venue-based revenue from Time Out Market Osaka (categorized as a food hall / hardware-sales stream). On the B2B side, the company monetizes through sponsored partner content integrated into editorial inventory, with partners spanning hospitality, spirits, hotels, and cultural institutions. Customer segments center on urban lifestyle seekers, comprising Tokyo and Osaka residents plus international visitors, reached through SEO-driven web content, social media (Instagram 100K+, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter/X, LINE), email newsletters, and the physical food hall destination.
Time Out Tokyo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Time Out Tokyo
- Legal name
- Time Out England Limited
- Website
- https://timeout.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Time Out Tokyo is the Japanese edition of the global Time Out media brand, providing curated city guides, restaurant recommendations, and cultural coverage for Tokyo and Osaka residents and visitors via digital platforms, a print/digital magazine, and the Time Out Market Osaka food hall.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Time Out Tokyo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital City Guide Media
- NAICS
- Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & City Guide Content Aggregators (MPACAKAJ)
Keywords
Where Time Out Tokyo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tokyo
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
Time Out Tokyo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Digital Content & Advertising: Website content with partner content and advertising, targeting both readers and businesses in the hospitality and lifestyle sectors.
- Magazine Subscriptions: Time Out Japan Magazine print and digital subscriptions, including special issues.
- Mobile Applications: iPhone application distribution for mobile access to city guides and content.
- Guide Maps: Physical and digital guide maps, including specialty maps like Tokyo Monorail guide.
- Time Out Market Osaka: Physical food hall featuring restaurants and kitchens, operating as a destination venue.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
Time Out Tokyo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Time Out Tokyo runs a digital city guide platform (timeout.jp) delivering curated editorial coverage of Tokyo and Osaka, including restaurants, cafes, hotels, attractions, art exhibitions, film screenings, nightlife, music, events, and travel content. Complementing the website, the company publishes the Time Out Japan Magazine (print and digital), an iPhone mobile application, specialty guide maps, and operates the Time Out Market Osaka food hall featuring 17 curated kitchens and chefs as a physical dining destination.
Product overview
Time Out Tokyo operates a digital city guide platform offering curated editorial content about Tokyo and Osaka covering restaurants, cafes, hotels, attractions, art exhibitions, film screenings, nightlife, music, and travel. The company also publishes the Time Out Japan Magazine (available in print and digital formats) and guide maps. A key product is Time Out Markets Osaka, a curated food hall concept. The portfolio includes dedicated sections for movies, LGBTQ+ content, and neighborhood guides.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Time Out Market: Food hall and market destinations featuring curated food and cultural experiences
- Time Out Japan Magazine
Products and services
- Time Out Tokyo Website Japanese-language online city guide platform providing curated editorial content about Tokyo restaurants, hotels, attractions, events, art, film, nightlife, music, and cultural activities for city residents and visitors.
- Time Out Japan Magazine Print and digital magazine covering Japanese urban culture, travel, dining, and lifestyle content, available by subscription and digital edition via fujisan.co.jp.
- Time Out Tokyo iPhone App Mobile application for iPhone providing on-the-go access to Time Out Tokyo's curated city guide content.
- Guide Maps Physical and digital specialty guide maps featuring curated recommendations for specific areas or experiences in Tokyo, including the Tokyo Monorail guide available through map.stores.jp.
- Time Out Market Osaka Curated physical food hall and dining destination in Osaka operated under the Time Out brand, featuring 17 kitchens and chefs presenting local and chef-led dining experiences.
Companies that use Time Out Tokyo
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Time Out Tokyo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Time Out Tokyo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Time Out Market OsakacoreTime Out Market Osaka is a flagship physical destination operated under the Time Out brand, featuring 17 kitchens and chefs presenting curated dining experiences. The market showcases local food culture and serves as both a product offering and marketing channel for Time Out Tokyo's editorial brand.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Time Out Tokyo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Culture Trip: Digital-first travel and culture content platform covering global cities including Tokyo and Osaka. Comparable as a curated city/culture content aggregator targeting international travellers with editorial and user-generated content.
Broad incumbents
- Lonely Planet: Established global travel guide brand spanning books, digital content, and curated city recommendations. Comparable as a trusted city and travel guide publisher with similar editorial mission, though operates at global scale and across many more categories than Time Out Tokyo.
- Condé Nast Traveler: Premium travel and dining editorial brand covering global destinations including Tokyo. Competes for premium advertising dollars and audience share in upscale travel and dining content overlapping with Time Out Tokyo's coverage.
- Tripadvisor: Global travel and restaurant review platform with massive scale. Overlaps with Time Out Tokyo's restaurant, attraction, and event discovery function across both Tokyo and Osaka, though serves a much broader global category rather than editorial city storytelling.
Direct peers
- Eater: Digital city-focused dining and restaurant guide network covering major US and global cities. Closely comparable to Time Out Tokyo in editorial mission (curated restaurant, bar, and food discovery), multi-city structure, and digital-first publishing model.
- Gurunavi: Major Japanese restaurant search and information platform. Competes directly with Time Out Tokyo in the Japanese restaurant discovery and content space, particularly for Tokyo and Osaka diners.
- Tabelog: Japan's dominant restaurant review and discovery platform by Kakaku.com. Direct competitor in the Tokyo/Osaka restaurant discovery category where Time Out Tokyo operates; both serve restaurant search and recommendation intent, though Tabelog relies on user reviews vs. Time Out's editorial curation.
- Savvy Tokyo: English-language city guide and lifestyle media platform targeting international residents and visitors in Tokyo. Comparable as a curated English-language Tokyo city guide competing for the same inbound tourist and expatriate audience.
- The Infatuation: Curated restaurant and city guide platform with strong editorial voice across major cities. Comparable business model combining expert reviews, neighborhood guides, and restaurant recommendations targeting urban lifestyle consumers.
- Jalan: Leading Japanese domestic travel and leisure guide platform covering destinations, hotels, and experiences across Japan. Comparable as a multi-vertical Japanese content discovery and recommendation platform overlapping with Time Out Tokyo's travel and attractions coverage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Time Out Tokyo social profiles
Digital presenceTime Out Tokyo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Time Out Tokyo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Time Out Tokyo subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Time Out Tokyo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Time Out Tokyo 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 Time Out Tokyo
What does Time Out Tokyo do?
Time Out Tokyo runs a digital city guide platform (timeout.jp) delivering curated editorial coverage of Tokyo and Osaka, including restaurants, cafes, hotels, attractions, art exhibitions, film screenings, nightlife, music, events, and travel content. Complementing the website, the company publishes the Time Out Japan Magazine (print and digital), an iPhone mobile application, specialty guide maps, and operates the Time Out Market Osaka food hall featuring 17 curated kitchens and chefs as a physical dining destination.
Is Time Out Tokyo a public or private company?
Time Out Tokyo is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Time Out Tokyo founded?
Time Out Tokyo was founded in 2009.
Where is Time Out Tokyo based?
Time Out Tokyo is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does Time Out Tokyo make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Digital Content & Advertising is the primary driver. The others are magazine Subscriptions, mobile Applications, guide Maps and time Out Market Osaka.
Who are Time Out Tokyo's main competitors?
Culture Trip is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Lonely Planet, Condé Nast Traveler and Tripadvisor. Direct peers are Eater, Gurunavi, Tabelog, Savvy Tokyo, The Infatuation and Jalan.
Does Time Out Tokyo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Time Out Tokyo.
What industry is Time Out Tokyo in?
Time Out Tokyo's product category is Digital City Guide Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAKAJ, Local & City Guide Content Aggregators. Its NAICS code is 72251 and its SIC code is 5810.