ESCAPE

This all color, high-design magazine, which is published four times a year, provides information on seasonal sightseeing, gourmet, lifestyle and travel.
ESCAPE is at your disposition in all our vehicles, please take a look en enjoy it while boarding to your next destination.

MK Eats: Ha Ha, Ikebukuro’s Creamy Crab Epiphany

Tucked into Ikebukuro’s fringe, Ha Ha is a five-table pasta joint where crab cream pasta makes you go “ah-ha!” One man runs the whole show—cooking, serving, and keeping the jazz flowing while you toast your own bread. Cracked crab, rich cream, and no pressure to leave. The kind of place that doesn’t try to impress—because it doesn’t need to.

Jun 18

Sunlight beams through clouds over a serene temple surrounded by lush greenery, with distant mountains and a peaceful village below.

Kyoto’s Hidden Nine: A Local Friend’s Guide to the City’s Best-Kept Secrets

Discover Kyoto’s hidden side with MK’s curated list of nine secret spots—quiet temples, surreal stone gardens, back-alley pizzerias, and a cocktail bar with no menu. From the mossy stillness of Kōmyō-in to the invitation-only flame of Daichan Yakiniku, this guide goes beyond the tourist map and into Kyoto’s whispering soul. A luxury-minded look at the city’s best-kept secrets, made for those who’ve already seen the postcard.

May 20

MK Deep Dive: Shinsekai — Osaka’s Retro Dreamscape Reborn

Once feared, now beloved, Shinsekai is Osaka’s chaotic, retro dreamscape where neon light meets battered kushikatsu, and old-school arcades glow beneath Tsutenkaku’s gaze. This MK Deep Dive traces the neighborhood’s transformation—from 1910 ambition to postwar decay to a new wave of reverence. Step into the unpolished soul of a city too bold to imitate, and too alive to fade.

May 15

MK Presents: Bagels, Slices, and Simulacra in Azabujuban

Azabujuban might be best known for its boutiques and designer dogs, but tucked between the luxury is a taste of New York—wax-paper-wrapped bacon, egg & cheese sandwiches and foldable pepperoni slices served with swagger. In this MK Presents dispatch, a Queens-born writer explores two Tokyo spots that channel NYC energy through simulated nostalgia, media-fueled devotion, and a surprising attention to greasy detail.

May 13

Eternal Love Tour in Kyoto: Private Visit to Kifune & Kamigamo Shrines

Discover Kyoto’s most romantic power spots on a private MK tour to Kifune and Kamigamo Shrines. Follow ancient legends, write heart-shaped ema, and enjoy grilled rice cakes along the way. Whether seeking blessings for love, renewal, or quiet reflection, this sacred journey through Japan’s spiritual heart offers more than sightseeing—it’s a return to something timeless.

May 9

Historic brick building with green roofs under a blue sky. Large chimney with star and Japanese text. Sign reads "Sapporo Beer Museum."

MK Deep Dive: Sapporo Beer Museum — Where Hokkaido’s Frontier Spirit Still Brews

Step inside a red-brick relic of Hokkaido’s frontier days. The Sapporo Beer Museum pours more than golden brew—it serves up 120 years of pioneer ambition, resilience, and the simple joy of beer under cold northern skies.

Apr 28

Bustling Chinatown street with red lanterns, colorful signs, and crowds under a gray sky. Buildings line the street filled with lively energy.

MK Deep Dive: Nankinmachi — Kobe’s Compact Chinatown That Refuses to Fade

Once a bustling enclave of butchers, merchants, and diplomats, Nankinmachi—Kobe’s Chinatown—has burned, rebuilt, and risen again with its own brand of resilient charm. In just 270 meters, this district blends red lanterns, green tea sweets, and Taoist prayers into an unforgettable microcosm of Chinese culture nestled in cosmopolitan Kobe. A savory, sensory bridge between worlds.

Apr 18

MK Deep Dive: Dotonbori – Where Good Decisions Go to Forget Themselves

Dotonbori isn’t just a street—it’s Osaka’s neon pulse, where retro-futurism meets fried food and spontaneity. Once a 17th-century canal, now a technicolor fever dream of signage, octopus balls, and late-night regrets. The district’s wild energy—equal parts jazz-era decadence and Blade Runner chaos—turns every walk into a scene. From Glico’s running man to legends of KFC curses and celebratory canal dives, this is where Osaka lives loud.

Apr 15