Metropolis (free magazine)


Metropolis is a 32-to-48-page free monthly city guide, news and classified ads glossy magazine published by Japan Partnership KK targeting English-speaking foreigners in Tokyo, Japan. As of April 2011, its circulation was claimed to be 30,000.

History

The magazine was first published in 1994 as the Tokyo Classified. Early editions, in the broadsheet style, consisted of classified advertisements sourced from shop notice boards. Initially distributed with the Daily Yomiuri, the publisher created an independent distribution network after the newspaper censored advertisements it found objectionable. The magazine is distributed to companies, embassies, hotels, bars, and restaurants. The magazine was originally owned and operated by Mark and Mary Devlin, renamed Metropolis in 2001, and sold to Japan Inc. Holdings in 2007. The Devlins have documented this sale in "How Terrie Lloyd stole Metropolis".
Since 1999 the magazine hosted an annual Halloween party "Glitterball" at Roppongi's Velfarre club, and now that Velfarre is defunct, at other notable clubs around Tokyo. Between 2003 and 2010, Metropolis donated some of the profits each year to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Japan and the YMCA.
Metropolis is owned by Japan Partnership KK.