About
People and stories make Tokyo, Tokyo makes people and stories.
Founded in 2025, umu is an independent bilingual publication exploring the people, stories, and ideas that define Tokyo's creative scene.
Every creator follows a different path. Through interviews, features, and community-driven content, we document not only the work itself, but also the experiences, challenges, and moments that shape it.
We believe creative communities grow through connection. By bringing together creators, creative businesses, events, and opportunities, umu aims to make Tokyo's creative ecosystem more open, more visible, and connected for both local and international audiences.
Whether you're looking for inspiration, discovering someone new, or finding your place within the community, we hope every story helps spark the next one.
What We Value
We are not a media platform that simply promotes people or their work. Through interviews, we dig deeper into what they think, what they value, and the experiences and processes that have brought them to where they are today.
Rather than creating content that quickly disappears from a social media feed, we want to share stories that stay with you and leave something behind. That is where we believe the real value lies.
We don’t judge the value of someone’s work by obvious markers such as name recognition, awards, years of experience, or follower count. Instead of titles and achievements, we look at each person’s unique perspective, story, and passion for what they create.
Life and creative work are not always easy. Even creators and artists who may seem successful or glamorous face uncertainty, conflict, and difficult moments along the way.
We share both what went well and what didn’t, the positive and the negative, as honestly as possible and within what each person feels comfortable sharing. Our goal is to tell stories that show how people keep moving forward, carrying their doubts with them while holding on to their passion.
Team Members
A freelance graphic designer responsible for pretty much everything at umu, from editing and interviews to design and communications. Her curiosity never runs out, and she usually has around five new ideas floating around in her head at any given time. She is also a serious ramen lover. Her latest idea is an app that tracks how much money you’ve spent on ramen over your lifetime and lets you compete with ramen eaters across Japan.
Arran is responsible for the development and day-to-day operation of the website. His main work is as a musician and music producer, but he is also highly skilled in tech, including web development and 3D motion design. From building his own desk to remaking jeans, he can make almost anything himself. He is also regularly subjected to 725’s latest ideas at all hours of the day and night, and is getting a little tired of it.
