Media & Entertainment

In Thailand, its "boys love" or BL dramas are popular mainly among young women, as the country is more accepting of the LGBTQ community than most other Asian countries.
10 April 2022
At the Best in Business Awards, run by the U.S. Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, Nikkei Asia won the top prize in the international reporting section for a three-part investigation into online scams run from Cambodia. It was one of three prizes received by the publication. 
Announcements

Nikkei Asia wins three SABEW Best in Business Awards

Publication recognized for reports on Apple's woes, cybercrime gangs, tech-worker exploitation

8 April 2022
Manga artist Fujiko A. Fujio said in 2002 that his motto was "Never do today what you can put off till tomorrow."
Obituaries

Curiosity fueled manga artist Fujiko A. Fujio's 70-year career

Abiko, whose works ran gamut from kid-friendly comics to dark humor, dies at 88

8 April 2022
Byju's, the world's most valuable online education startup, last month became an official sponsor of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be held in Qatar in November. (Source photos by Yuki Kohara and AFP/Jiji) 
Media & Entertainment

Indian startups splash cash on sports, celebrity endorsements

Byju's, others splurge on ads to grab customers after record fundraising

5 April 2022
Gunpla kits are extremely popular among fans of the Mobile Suit Gundam robot sci-fi franchise. (Photo by Takako Fujiu)
Media & Entertainment

Gundam rising: Bandai Namco boosts output of hot model kits

Resellers take advantage of market for toys that 'sell out in 10 minutes'

31 March 2022
"Squid Game" star Park Hae-soo: "Becoming an international actor wasn't really at the forefront of my mind," says Park.  
Arts

'Squid Game' star reflects on the global allure of South Korean culture

Park Hae-soo was working at a BBQ restaurant when the 'hallyu' boom hit

30 March 2022
Ryusuke Hamaguchi, director of the Oscar-winning "Drive My Car," poses in the press room at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 27.
Media & Entertainment

'Drive My Car' scores big, but Hollywood budgets a distant dream

Japanese film industry faces pressure to embrace streaming

29 March 2022
Director Ryusuke Hamaguchi accepts the Oscar for best international feature film "Drive My Car" at the 94th Academy Awards on March 27.
Arts

Japan's 'Drive My Car' wins Oscar for best international film

'CODA' becomes first streamed movie to take home best picture

28 March 2022
"We love asking questions to ourselves, to each other, and to go into a set of facts with an open mind and allow it to evolve into a story," Sushmit Ghosh, left, and Rintu Thomas told Nikkei Asia.
Arts

A win for this Indian documentary would make Oscars history

'Writing With Fire' chronicles how a group of Dalit women became investigative reporters

27 March 2022
India's Zee Entertainment shares surged 16% on Thursday after main shareholder Invesco approved a merger proposal with Sony.  
Media & Entertainment

India's Zee Entertainment shares soar as Invesco accepts Sony deal

U.S. fund manager will monitor merger after setting aside earlier concerns

24 March 2022
Online advertising revenues fell 13% in the fourth quarter for Tencent amid regulatory pressure on key client sectors.  
23 March 2022
The manga app Piccoma has exploded with over 30 million downloads. (Photo by Yuma Ikeshita)
Media & Entertainment

Kakao's Piccoma app goes viral in Japan with K-style webtoons

Vertical scrolling and binge comics set publisher apart from competition

23 March 2022
Galina Timchenko in 2015. She said she had been "bracing for war" since Meduza was labeled a foreign agent by the Russian government in April 2021.
Interview

Independent opinions 'silenced' in Russia, Meduza CEO says

Galina Timchenko vows to continue reporting, but headwinds mount

22 March 2022
The K-pop band's hybrid format of in-person concerts and live streaming is likely here to stay even after coronavirus restrictions are lifted. (Photo courtesy of Big Hit Music)
Media & Entertainment

BTS cashes in on worldwide concert streaming, earning $90m in 3 days

2.5m fans watch at movie theaters and online in 191 countries

16 March 2022
Amazon's new studio in the Shibuya section of Tokyo gives musicians a space to record and stream music and podcasts.
Media & Entertainment

Amazon turns up volume on Japan music push with Shibuya studio

Tech giant taps still-growing market to chase Apple and Spotify

15 March 2022
Chinese gaming platforms last year were forced to limit users under age 18 to play during three specified hours each week.
China tech

China regulator to extend youth time limits to videos and WeChat

New draft regulation accelerates sell-off in technology stocks

14 March 2022
Loco backer Hashed believes its investment in the Indian game streamer will help it solidify its dominant position. (Screenshot from Loco website)
DealStreetAsia

Indian game streamer Loco raises $42m from South Korean VC

Company to bolster platform, product development, backed by fresh capital

13 March 2022
Hong Kong's Animoca Brands has suspended Russian accounts from its blockchain-based game "The Sandbox." (Photo courtesy of Animoca Brands)
Media & Entertainment

Ukraine war protests find virtual platforms as gamers speak out

EA and Sony halt Russia business, while Animoca shuts out players there

11 March 2022
The pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine were cited as factors delaying the opening of the Aquaverse water park for a second time. (Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Travel & Leisure

Sony's Aquaverse to delay Thailand opening over tourism uncertainty

Theme park based on Columbia Pictures films faces headwinds from Ukraine, COVID

11 March 2022
A concept image from Bandai Namco's Gundam metaverse. The Japanese video game and toy company is turning to the platform to boost business. (Photo courtesy of Bandai Namco)
Media & Entertainment

Bandai Namco to spend $130m creating Gundam 'metaverse'

Virtual world to include games, videos and shopping

6 March 2022
Social media furors over what are acceptable and unacceptable images of Chinese beauty are becoming harder to predict. Controversies are not just engulfing foreign advertisers like Dior but also now domestic brands such as Three Squirrels. (Nikkei montage/AP, Getty Images and Reuters)
Business Spotlight

Advertisers struggle to navigate China's shifting beauty standards

Models that don't conform to a narrow ideal can spark a social media outcry

4 March 2022
Sony Group Chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida announces the launch of electric vehicle unit Sony Mobility at the CES 2022 consumer tech show in Las Vegas during January. (Photo by Kazuyuki Okudaira)
Comment

Sony chases Amazon's platform growth while Toshiba shrinks

Entertainment-driven group succeeds by breaking free of hardware cycle

24 February 2022
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, who entered office in 2018, was listed by Reporters Without Borders in 2021 as a "press freedom predator."
Politics

Pakistan's tough stance on 'fake news' threatens basic freedoms

Draconian measure meant to tackle rampant disinformation on social media

23 February 2022
Artist of the year was among three prizes BTS took home at the American Music Awards in November. (Photo courtesy of Hybe)
Media & Entertainment

BTS agency Hybe beats concert slump with 30% profit gain

Boy band cashes in on ads and online content, but looming military service clouds outlook

23 February 2022
Animoca's blockchain-based game "The Sandbox" lets users buy and sell NFTs as virtual real estate. (Photo courtesy of Animoca Brands)
Media & Entertainment

Hong Kong NFT startup taps Japan's intellectual property trove

Animoca lines up 50 projects, from anime to fashion, to expand content worldwide

16 February 2022