In 1977, the Japanese media landscape was undergoing a rapid transformation. While Shūeisha's Weekly Playboy (launched in 1966) focused on a mix of manga, entertainment news, and domestic pictorials, the monthly Playboy Japan was positioned as a more sophisticated, "cutting-edge" lifestyle publication. It sought to bring the Western "Playboy Philosophy" to a younger demographic of Japanese men in their 20s and 30s who were increasingly interested in global culture and photography.

: The magazine included features like "Sex in Cinema 1977," highlighting international stars such as Diane Keaton and Jacqueline Bisset .

: Reflecting its "sophisticated" mission, the issue contained serious journalistic pieces, including an interview with Henry Kyemba (a former minister under Idi Amin) and fiction/essays by Western figures like Ted Koppel and Marvin Kalb. Legacy of Playboy Japan