I’m M.R. Lucas, a writer living in Japan. I write longform travel pieces, reported journalism, and literary nonfiction, often starting from close observation and letting history, memory, and lived experience do the quiet work of shaping the story.

My work includes helping launch and shape MK Guide’s Deep Dive series — now spanning over 100 longform cultural essays across Japan — as well as reported features for Japan Today. These pieces examine how place, belief, infrastructure, and memory intersect over time.

Across genres, my approach is patient and observant. I’m less interested in spectacle than in atmosphere, less in novelty than in what endures. Much of my writing dwells in settings that seem ordinary at first, but reveal deeper layers if you stay with them long enough.

I’m available for editorial assignments, reported features, and commissioned essays.