Comments on:

Look past the dominance of the big chains in Tokyo and you will find a world of fiercely independent coffee shops. Monocle's Fiona Wilson pays tribute.

Globes, spoons and weaving: Monocle films drops in on three makers helping to reinvigorate the British capital’s artisanal heartbeat.

Biannual design and homeware treasure trove (and trade show) Maison & Objet brings the great, good and design-minded of the retail world to the Parc des Expositions in Paris each January. Here are a few things that caught our eye at this 20th anniversary edition of the fair.

In a war zone, even the hotels are targets. Monocle visits three high-risk hotels, including the Corinthia in Tripoli where nine people were killed in an attack last year.

In the February issue discover the charm, commitment and crudités served by the most hospitable nations. We also visit the world's most dangerous hotels, London's finest embassies and New Orleans' art scene.

Brands at this year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie luxury-watch show in Geneva have been inspired by celestial bodies and the search for new materials – with designs that shoot for the stars.

Monocle is hosting its first ever conference. This intimate gathering will be hosted by the magazine’s editors, correspondents and key thinkers, with the topics discussed ranging from architecture and city planning to independent retail and national branding.

[Register your interest on conference.monocle.com](http://conference.monocle.com)

Miami was all washed-up but then a new breed of art galleries and a boatload of art collections sailed in, aided by the fair winds of Art Basel's Miami fair and the lure of the tropics. Monocle's culture editor finds out how this big, bad city turned into a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed art town.

Do you want to wear the best-made shoes in the world? Then you need to visit a quiet corner of France that has become the home of luxury shoe-making. Here's how it happened.

Monocle travelled to northern Norway for an exclusive insight into Cold Response, Nato's gruelling cold-weather military training exercise.