The opening article in this edition is about the great master of Japanese-style (nihonga) painting, Matazo Kayama. The exclusive beauty of his art is introduced by two prestigious art historians, Nobuo Tsuji and Arata Shimao. Another article is about a multi-artist, Hiroshi Sugimoto, who received the Person of Cultural Merit award in 2017. Sugimoto introduces a report on his solo-exhibition held at Japan Society Gallery in New York City, together with an introduction of a unique facility called "Odawara Art Foundation Enoura Observatory" which was recently built by him.
Other distinctive features are about Kyosai Kawanabe (ukiyo-e artist), Hiroto Rakusho (master of gold and silver leaf art), Toyomi Hoshina (modern artist/writer/vice president of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music), and Oki Sato (designer/founder of the design studio nendo) who was selected as "Newsweek 100 Most Respected Japanese People in the World."
Starting with this edition, ONBEAT launched the series to introduce Japanese traditional festivals nationwide. The first kick-off is Hachinohe Enburi Festival - a local dance performance to pray for a good harvest. A QR code is provided on the magazine page so that readers can access the page to watch the actual performance on video.