What is Bant Voyaj and why Tokyo?

Throughout Bant Mag.’s journey since 2004, cities and our travels have always held a special place. The experiences we’ve had in the cities we’ve been able to visit, the things we’ve eaten and drunk, and most importantly, the people we’ve met have all played a significant role in shaping and feeding the collective mind of Bant Mag.

World cities are shaped not only by disasters and miracles, but also by struggles, hopes, and ideas; they are the product of imaginations that are never entirely premeditated. That is why they constantly place unexpected stories and sources of inspiration in your path. Visiting other cities is also a way of seeking another kind of urban life or of better understanding the city you already live in (at least for us, as Istanbulites). There is nothing quite like truly encountering a city you do not know.

So, what is Bant Voyaj? In its simplest form, it is a new medium–or platform, or section, or whatever you choose to call it–where each issue is dedicated to a different city and some of the creative people who inhabit it. You could also describe it as an attempt, an intention, an experiment in creating something new. Our aim is to set our sights on a city, explore it, meet people, and share with you what we discover and appreciate. In doing so, we hope to offer something beyond typical YouTube travel videos; an alternative city guide that captures fragments of the everyday lives, concerns, and inspirations of that city’s creative minds.

The first issue is Tokyo… Perhaps the seeds of this issue were planted 19 years ago in a record shop in London. At the entrance, there was a poster for the UK tour of the Japanese psych rock band Ghost. At the time, we were booking bands from abroad to play a show in Istanbul every month, sponsored by a sneaker brand. Each month, a band from a different city around the world (that was the concept) would perform at Babylon. We already liked the band; they were touring Europe, which made things easier, and they fit perfectly into our concept. After seeing the poster, we thought, why not, and got in touch with Ghost. They performed at Babylon (now Blind) in Asmalı Mescit on May 14, 2007. We became friends with the band’s vocalist, Masaki Batoh, and promised to meet again someday in Tokyo.

Two years later, in 2009, we booked Ship of Fools, the project of Alex Hacke and Danielle de Picciotto, again as part of the same concert series. They performed alongside Istanbul-based musicians. Before the concert, a dinner was held at Yakup, where Murat Ertel’s friends from Tokyo, Takuya “Salam” Unagami and Nourah, also joined. Since that day, both have remained among Bant Mag.’s closest friends.

The friendships that began in Istanbul with our Japanese friends eventually extended to their land in 2015. Since then, as much as the world and our economy have allowed, different members of our team have travelled back and forth between Istanbul and Tokyo. We’ve played DJ sets there, organized concerts, held exhibitions and some of us have even gotten married there! As you can imagine, picking Tokyo for the first issue of Bant Voyaj was neither random nor arbitrary.

In this issue, through interviews with 38 people, you will get to know both their Tokyo and their personal worlds. Among those we spoke with are legends such as Hiroshi Nagai, who gave visual identity to City Pop; Junji Ito, the master of horror in manga; and Phew, a timeless figure in avant-garde music. You’ll meet the people behind the venues shaping the city’s alternative music and art scenes. You’ll discover the music of bands like Suzumeno Tears, Kuunatic, Sugai Ken, TsuShiMiMaRe, and Kufuki, and step into the worlds of Tokyo-based travelers, gourmets, dancers, and designers. But above all, you will read and wander through their Tokyo.

We don’t stop there. Perhaps as a way of thanking the many doors we knocked on during the making of this issue, we want to do more to show our appreciation for this city and approach Tokyo in our own way. Twenty-four illustrators created original works inspired by 24 Japanese films set in Tokyo. You will also find some quick, practical notes on the city in our A-to-Z Tokyo Guide, and get a sense of Tokyo “according to us.”

No city is merely the sum of touristic images, random videos, or posters plastered on walls. And trying to frame a city like Tokyo within any single perspective is simply impossible. Our wish is that everyone finds their own way of discovering and experiencing their own Tokyo.