The Big Issue is a magazine sold by homeless and socially disadvantaged people on the streets. Since it was founded in the UK in 1991, it has provided vendors with a way to earn an income through selling magazines, rather than relying on charity. The idea has since spread internationally, including to Japan, where The Big Issue Japan launched in 2003. While both editions share the same name and purpose, I found that they have developed into very different magazines. I looked through a collection of 25 UK editions and 25 Japanese editions of The Big Issue, comparing how they discuss homelessness, vendors, politics, advertising, community and social issues.
One of the biggest differences is how the two editions talk about homelessness. The UK edition often connects homelessness with wider political and social issues, covering topics such as government policies, welfare, inequality and the causes behind homelessness. It takes a more direct approach and encourages readers to think about how society responds to poverty. The Japanese edition, meanwhile, places more focus on the people selling the magazine. Many articles share vendors’ personal stories, including their past experiences, challenges, interests and hopes for the future. It often highlights vendors as individuals with their own identities and stories.
One thing that surprised me was the price differences. The Big Issue has become much more expensive in both countries over the years, and at some points, the Japanese edition actually cost more than the British one when converted into pounds. The UK magazine is also noticeably longer, usually around 48 pages compared with Japan’s 32–36. The founders of each edition of the magazines are treated very differently too. In the UK, founder John Bird is still one of the public faces of The Big Issue. He regularly writes for the magazine, interviews politicians, and has become closely associated with it. In Japan, founder Shōji Sano has a much lower public profile, and many readers would probably not recognise his name.
The Japanese edition spends much more time introducing the vendors themselves. Many issues include long interviews where vendors talk about addiction, past suicidal thoughts, work, hopes for the future, and how selling The Big Issue changed their lives. The UK edition recognises vendors too, but usually through much shorter profiles while giving more space to wider political and social issues. This is very clear as the UK edition has interviewed figures including Tony Blair, David Cameron, Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak, often challenging them on homelessness and poverty. I found little to no engagement from high profile figures or Prime Ministers with the Japanese Big Issue.
One of my favourite discoveries was Japan’s “Homeless Life Consultation” column. Readers send in problems about work, relationships, or everyday life, and experienced vendors write the replies. It turns homeless vendors into advisers rather than simply people receiving help, challenging many stereotypes about homelessness. Even the front covers are significantly different. British editions regularly put homelessness, politics, or social issues on the front page, while Japanese covers are much more likely to feature celebrities, artwork, or cultural figures. Both magazines support the same mission, but they attract readers in very different ways.
Looking at both editions shows how the same magazine and ideas can change depending on the society it enters. The Big Issue UK has developed into a publication strongly connected with homelessness advocacy and politics, while The Big Issue Japan has adapted the model around personal stories, community and social connections.
This research was originally written as a paper titled A Comparative Analysis of the UK and Japanese Editions of The Big Issue. For a much more detailed comparison, including statistics on cover prices and front covers, as well as many more examples of vendor stories, reader contributions, political coverage, advertisements, and other differences between the two editions, click the link here.
Leave a Reply