About DVJ

Why we do what we do

DVJ was created to make Italian lifestyle in Japan easier to discover and more meaningful to experience.

Moreover, we found some topics were available for the Japanese community but not accessible for the Italians moving to Japan and vice versa. We found these 2 communities were eager to meet so we decided to create this missing bilingual space.

While many platforms talk about Italy or Japan separately, few focus on Italy IN Japan .

There are impressively specific topic dissected like Italian music, Italian language, Italian wine. But finding all the information in one place like a complete ecosystem was very hard.

What “Dolce Vita” means to us

The name we have chosen is a bit of a provocation. Inspired by Federico Fellini’s iconic 1960 film, La Dolce Vita, it evokes Italy’s allure but hints at more than just carefree days, unveiling something far more layered. The film reveals a life filled with work, fleeting beauty and the search for a meaning too—more complex than just a “sweet life”.

This magazine strives to capture Italy as it truly is: not the polished postcard version, but a country with all its contrasts and contradictions. People balancing hard work with small joys, discussing life over coffee, and walking past centuries-old churches without a second glance.
At Dolce Vita Japan, you will find this nuanced, authentic Italy beyond the clichés: its beauty, genius, humor, frustrations, and everything in between, with its honest imperfection.