Affairs Report: Naval Gazing - Etajima, Hachinohe & Ominato

Under its post-war constitution, Japan is not allowed a navy, only a Self Defence Force. With unique access to the fleet, we examine the nation's maritime and military future.

Europe Briefing: Turn up the base - Bulgaria

After lobbying for US bases on its territory and signing an agreement for three, Bulgaria expects troops to start arriving this year.

Europe Briefing: Drive a hard bargain - France

Having teased locals from behind scaffolding and billboards for two years, Citroën will open its revamped €11m, 1,200 sq m flagship showroom this spring.

Europe Briefing: Tunnel vision - Switzerland

The new Gotthard Base Tunnel is being dug more than 600m below the old one, through nearly 58km of Massif stone.

Europe Briefing: Flying Finns - Finland

What to do if you have a country with lots of empty space, both on the ground and in the air? Turn it into a business.

Europe Briefing: Blue Danube - Hungary

Gábor Demszky promises to make revitalising the Danube the priority of his last term.

Europe Briefing: Poles apart - Poland

As a result of the exodus since Poland's EU accession, several new Polish consulates are expected to open during 2007.

Europe Briefing: Votes please - Estonia & Finland

Estonia and Finland go to the polls in March 2007.

Africa/Middle East Briefing: Knickers in a twist - Saudi Arabia

Shopping for lingerie in Saudi Arabia.

Africa/Middle East Briefing: Pink is for safety - UAE

Dubai's pale pink taxis are something of a coup for the Emirate.

Africa/Middle East Briefing: Would Sir like a gun? - Somalia

Hotels in Mogadishu.

Africa/Middle East Briefing: Hut property - Sudan

After the civil war, Juba is in the midst of an economic boom.

Africa/Middle East Briefing: Failed state watch - Guinea

Welcome to Guinea: the west-African nation that most Africa-watchers fear is set to become the next Somalia.

Asia Briefing: Ripe manga - Kyoto

Kyoto Seika University has opened the Kyoto International Manga Museum.

Asia Briefing: Fast-track travel - Taiwan and beyond

There are vast transport projects underway all over East Asia.

Style Leaders: Flak Jacket - Iran

We look at the semiotics of Iranian President Ahmadinejad's man of the people look.

Asia Briefing: Dire straits - Malacca

Despite popular opinion to the contrary, piracy on the high seas is still alive - even if the number of attacks is in decline.

Asia Briefing: Mall talk - India

The emergence of shopping malls in India.

Asia Briefing: Banking on it - Thailand

Korn Chatikavanij is odds-on to become Thailand's next finance minister.

Asia Briefing: Pedal power - North Korea

Determined North Korean businessmen are side-stepping trade sanctions to import second-hand bicycles.

Oceania Briefing: Plenty worries - Australia

Jeff Kennett is chairman of beyondblue (beyondblue.org.au), a pioneering depression initiative.

Oceania Briefing: Watch this space - Australia

Dr Alice Gorman is calling on the United Nations this month to create a protected "heritage list" of space debris.

Americas Briefing: The reconciliation of Daniel Ortega - Nicaragua

After a surprise election victory, Daniel Ortega is back in power as President of Nicaragua. Yet people are sceptical.

Americas Briefing: Green-sky thinking - Los Angeles

Downtown LA’s first eco-neighbourhood is ready to move into.

Americas Briefing: Hugo's there - Venezuela

President Hugo Chávez has played host to some unusual guests.

Americas Briefing: Oh, give me a home - USA

Investors, second-home buyers and outdoorsy types attracted to North Dakota's austere beauty are on the rise.

Americas Briefing: Women in arms - Ecuador

Guadalupe Larriva was part of a growing cadre of South American women chosen to lead formerly macho-dominated defence ministries.

Americas Briefing: Q&A - Jennifer Granholm - USA

Michigan's high-punching governor, Jennifer Granholm, is talking up the future, and insists her state is open for business.

Americas Briefing: Platinum passports - Canada

The passport gold rush due to a new border law between the US and Canada.

Affairs Report: Chinese cheques - Dar es Salaam, Nairobi & Luanda

Monocle travels across Africa to witness the impact of China's recent investment and diaspora.

Q&A: On the money - Chile

Monocle interviews Andrés Velasco, Chilean Finance Minister.

Brands Explained: On the shelf - Zürich

In the first of a series on branding, we look at the companies that make Coop a star store.

Business Report: Baja or bust - Mexico

We profile Ensenada, the Mexican town pulling in the wine growers of California, yacht builders and a generation of sharp entrepreneurs.

Business Briefing: All shipshape - Norway

The Ulstein shipyard in the fjords of Sunnmøre, Norway, is producing vessels that seem to defy all traditional shipbuilding logic.

Business Briefing: Island of opportunity - Iceland

Where others might see a collection of low-slung, unloved buildings, too few take-offs and landings and the worrying potential for a spike in local suicide rates, Monocle has spotted an opportunity.

Business Briefing: Urban scrawl - Sweden

When he brought tanning salons to New York, John Erixon found himself surrounded by graffiti and set up a company called All Remove, to wash it away.

Business Briefing: Talk of the town - Tokyo

No-one should be surprised that Mitsui Fudosan will open Tokyo Midtown, its €2.3bn, 10 hectare city-within-a-city, at the end of March 2007, on schedule.

Business Briefing: Tall stories - Dubai

How can you tell just by looking at a city's skyline how its businesses are faring?

Q&A: Q&A - Jørgen Vig Knudstorp - Billund

Monocle asks Jørgen Vig Knudstorp, CEO of Lego, about rebuilding the plastic brick empire.

Business Briefing: Air of superiority - We sky-test business-class-only flights

Monocle dispatched a correspondent to sample Eos's established offer versus Silverjet’s much-hyped debut.

Business Briefing: Star board - Australia

Launched in 2004 as an offshoot of Australian national carrier Qantas, Jetstar seems to have luck along on every ride.

Fairplay: Push my button - Düsseldorf

It's the first day of IMA 2007, the trade fair for amusement and vending machines (IMA originally stood for International Messe von Automaten), with 138 exhibitors from 14 countries, including Germany, Austria, Taiwan and Britain.

Perfect Company: Light fantastic - Austria

The Austrian lighting company BLL leads the industry with its life-enhancing systems.

Business Report: Germany's bottle bank - Mosel

German vineyards are fighting back with a winning marketing tool: novelty bottles.

Culture Report: Reel Rebel - Dubai

Assaad Taha's company, Hot Spot, makes documentaries for Al Jazeera, uncovering and objectively reporting injustices.

Culture Briefing: Bandwagon-esque - The Dan Brown spin-off industry

The Dan Brown spin-off industry.

Culture Briefing: Monocle music - fine side lines

In rock music, spring 2007 is the season of the side project.

Culture Briefing: Lust in translation - Bringing Murakami to the big screen

'All God's Children Can Dance' is the film adaptation of the Haruki Murakami short story of the same name.

Culture Report: Diary of a movie deal - Utah

The Sundance Film Festival, January 2007.

Culture Briefing: Making a mint - A new daily for India

Mint is India’s brand-new financial daily.

Culture Briefing: Sold out - The stars of Japanese advertising

Which three Japanese stars would you hire for future commercials?

Culture Briefing: Looking glass - Tokyo's new epicentre for art

Kisho Kurakawa's new National Art Center in Roppongi.

Culture Report: Trigger Happy - Scotland

Dundee is a key hub for the world's computer games industry.

For the record: Rock of ages - San Francisco, USA

Aquarius Records, in San Francisco.

On the shelf: Zine shifting - Amsterdam, Netherlands

Zine shifting, in Amsterdam, Netherlands

My Working Life: Kabul and wireless - Afghanistan

The host of Afghanistan's most popular breakfast show. Massood Sanjer.

Design Report: Família values - Rio and São Paulo

Hotshot hotelier Rogério Fasano is opening a second property in Brazil's carnivale capital.

Design Briefing: Viennese walls - Delugan Meissl's new apartments

A Delugan Meissl apartment block in the outskirts of Vienna.

Design Briefing: Corporate heaven - Japan's Seamless office design

Designer Ryuichi Kitamura has just launched his Seamless collection of softer, more sympathetic office furniture.

Design Briefing: Nursery's cool - Wenger Partner's Swiss kindergarten

UK education authorities busy planning "the classroom of the future" should board a flight to Switzerland, because it has already been built.

Design Briefing: Thirties reassessed - An Instant revamp in Düsseldorf

This radical reworking of the interior of a 1930s German house has created the kind of spaces that remind you of a grand pavilion.

Design Briefing: Tee ceremony - Beams gets it off its chest

Beams has brought out a volume documenting all their commissioned T-shirt work.

Design Briefing: Two wheels good - Abici's retro Italian bicycles

The Abici designers took the glory days of bicycle design in the 1950s as their starting point.

Design Briefing: One for the girls - Hot shoes by Roger Vivier

On Roger Vivier’s strappy, python sandals.

Design Briefing: Future Miuccia - Prada's latest conquests

Miuccia Prada and husband Patrizio Bertelli have been busy cutting deals again.

Design Briefing: Three's a company - Daiki Suzuki's golden touch

We're attracted to the design/distribution alliance made up of retailer and wholesaler Nepenthes, up-and-coming label Engineered Garments and reborn all-American brand Woolrich.

Design Briefing: One for the boys - The Comme des Garçons notebook

Comme des Garçons has a new notebook for your arsenal.

Design Briefing: Cheap to chic - Can H&M move upmarket?

Hennes & Mauritz makes the leap from discount to premium fashion with a second clothing chain.

Design Briefing: Perfect harmony - Tokyo, Japan

United Arrows has come up with the aptly named Sounds Good.

Design Report: Man of the moment - Florence

Monocle was at the Pitti Uomo menswear to see the designs that won deals and to fill its fantasy wardrobe.

Design Report: Last stand - Wisconsin

One of three remaining bespoke shoemakers in the USA, Russell Moccasin survives, thanks to its recasting as a luxury brand in the Far East.

The Bureau: Class act - Taipei

Xue Xue, a private institute that looks set to lift Taipei's cultural life to a whole new level.

Men's Fashion: Spring style - Okinawa

Men's fashion for March 2007.

Women's Fashion: Office fashion - Berlin

Womenswear story for March 2007.

Residence: Back to black - Stockholm

A Stockholm flat designed by architects DRD-A.

Fashion: Stockists, issue 01

Stockists details for issue 01 of Monocle magazine.