About

The art and travel articles on this site were written by John McGee. They include reviews of exhibitions at galleries and museums in Japan, introductions to cultural institutions in Japan, and articles on hiking and cultural travel in Japan. Most articles first appeared in major magazines and newspapers.

The photos and videos were shot in Japan by John McGee except where noted.

The hanko-ga prints are original works of art by John McGee.

John McGee lived in Tokyo, Japan from 1998-2004. He was the art editor at Metropolis magazine, the leading English-language publication in Japan, and wrote a weekly art column, plus features and other articles. He has contributed to "The Japan Times" and "Daily Mainichi" newspapers; Art+Auction, Art in America, Art-iT, art/text and Four Seasons magazines; "Time Out" guidebooks; and other publications.

McGee has traveled throughout Japan, covering much of Hokkaido, Honshu and Kyushu. During his time in the island country, he became (at least) five percent Japanese in cultural ethnicity.

The last letter in the English side of the logo is not a backwards "E." It's a "yo" written in katakana, one of the Japanese syllabaries. "Yo" is frequently used at the end of statements in Japanese to add emphasis. The red part of the logo is the size and shape of a Japanese five yen coin (which has a hole in the middle and is considered lucky) with "John McGee" written (more or less) in katakana. It's meant to look like a hanko or inkan, the personal seal Japanese stamp on important documents in lieu of a signature.

McGee writes only about places he has visited. Besides Japan, he has traveled throughout China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Taiwan and parts of South Korea. He has traversed Siberia and Mongolia by train. He has been throughout the USA (including Alaska and Hawaii), through parts of Mexico, Colombia and the Caribbean, and most of New Zealand. He has also lived in Copenhagen and Edinburgh and traveled through much of Europe—from the Isle of Harris to Moscow, Oslo to Fez and many points between—including England, Scotland, France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Poland and Morocco.

McGee earned a BA from Occidental College (Los Angeles) and an MFA from Art Center College of Design (Pasadena). He has also studied at the University of Copenhagen.

©2006-2008 John McGee. All Rights Reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission.