"VOGUE JAPAN" May Issue (On Sale April 1st) Features "Obsession." Cover Model Anok Yai Collaborates Uniquely with CUTIE STREET and Hideo Kojima in Tokyo!

VOGUE JAPAN May issue Photographed by Theo Liu © 2026 Condé Nast Japan. All rights reserved.

The May issue of "VOGUE JAPAN," the Japanese edition of "VOGUE," the world's most influential fashion magazine, will be released on Wednesday, April 1st.

This issue, titled "The Era of Obsession," delves into the diverse forms and intensity of "obsession," such as "oshi-katsu" (fandom activities), otaku culture, and collecting cherished items, all driven by passion, love, and immersion. Anok Yai, who won Model of the Year at the "Fashion Awards 2025," appears on the cover. She co-stars with "Ludens," the symbolic character created by world-renowned game creator and head of Kojima Productions, Hideo Kojima, and art director Yoji Shinkawa. The cover story features collaborations with CUTIE STREET and Hideo Kojima, exploring various "obsessive" locations throughout Tokyo.

Focusing on the act of "collecting," a common thread in obsession, "Artist-Born! Enchanting Merch" and "My Obsessive Story Grows with Every Collection" explore the profound appeal of official artist merchandise (Merch) and unravel the aesthetics and philosophies of life of renowned collectors from Japan and abroad through their lifelong collections of cherished items.

Furthermore, the issue also focuses on creators and artists from Japan and abroad who pour immense passion into mastering their unique worlds. In "Dialogue of Creators Who Generate Global Enthusiasm," we present a conversation between Hideo Kojima and actress Shioli Kutsuna, who plays the character Rainey in Kojima's latest work, "DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH," including behind-the-scenes stories of its production. Additionally, "obsession" is explored through diverse approaches spanning different genres and scales, featuring artist duo A.A. Murakami, Dr. Nash Arakawa, selected as the representative artist for the Japan Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale, Mari Katayama, an artist who has lived with a prosthetic leg since age nine, and even ARCHAX, a rideable giant robot resembling a real Gundam.

LOST IN FIX-ATION Tokyo, A Sanctuary of Enthusiasm and Innocence

Anok Yai, who has established a solid position as a supermodel, unfolds a cover story set in Tokyo, where various "obsessions" such as unique Japanese subcultures, "oshi-katsu," "kawaii," and otaku culture are deeply rooted. The photoshoot was conducted in locations brimming with subculture, including a pink-themed house, Nakano Broadway, a wig shop in Harajuku, and a vintage shop in Shimokitazawa. Furthermore, filming in Kojima Productions' archive room, a dream for game fans, was a first for Hideo Kojima himself. He strikes a fighting pose alongside Anok. The issue also features collaborations with CUTIE STREET, an 8-member idol group that gained attention with their debut song "Is it not enough to just be cute?" and disseminates "kawaii" culture from Harajuku to the world; KYOKA, an artist and dancer who boasts immense popularity overseas, transcending Japanese borders; and "LOVOT," the world's first family-type robot. It multi-dimensionally portrays Tokyo's diverse culture and "obsession."

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