Media & Entertainment

BTS appears in Los Angeles in their first in-person performance in two years.
Media & Entertainment

BTS parent amplifies K-pop success with tech platform

Music, social media and international talent recruitment work in harmony

9 January 2022
Tomohisa Yamashita broke into show business in 1996 at the age of 11. Since the release his first CD in 2003, he has appeared in dramas and pursued a career as a solo singing artist.
Media & Entertainment

J-pop idol Tomohisa Yamashita relishes reaching global audience

Former teen idol breaks mold of Japan's insular pop idol business

9 January 2022
The presidential Blue House in Seoul.
Media & Entertainment

South Korean investigators collect Nikkei reporter's personal data

Graft-busting agency has sought phone records of lawmakers and journalists

8 January 2022
Strawberry Prince boasts millions of followers on TikTok, Twitter, Line and Instagram.
Media & Entertainment

Virtual boy band Strawberry Prince steps in metaverse spotlight

Real Japanese singers with avatars point to future of entertainment

8 January 2022
NCT's Yuta performs during a live concert.
Interview

NCT's Japanese member, Yuta, finds global rhythm with K-pop

As music transcends cultures, genres becoming irrelevant, pop star says

7 January 2022
Bilibili could struggle to squeeze suppliers for the lowest prices demanded by livestream buyers.
Media & Entertainment

Bilibili climbs on livestream sales wagon, but may be too late

In quest to stem losses, Chinese video app runs up against rivals and regulators

6 January 2022
Netflix has slashed prices on all of its plans in India but remains more expensive than its rivals in the price-sensitive nation. (Source photos by AP and Yuki Kohara) 
Media & Entertainment

Netflix India's discount intensifies battle with Amazon and Disney

Streamers diversify content in quest for subscribers in 2nd most populous nation

5 January 2022
A Tsutaya Bookstore at a shopping mall in Nagoya. (Photo by Yuki Nagao)
Retail

Japan's high-end bookstore Tsutaya ready for ASEAN blitz

Owner CCC plans 55 stores in Malaysia, where Amazon yet to dominate

5 January 2022
The globalization of K-pop is no longer aimed at solely promoting South Korean artists.
Media & Entertainment

NCT's Yuta reveals K-pop's plan to shine beyond borders

Japan's music industry tries to catch up in developing global talent

4 January 2022
Settling on an uninhabited island called Catan, players expand their camps with resources obtained by rolling the dice. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
Interview

Catan inventor Klaus Teuber: Board games make us laugh together

No. 2 behind Monopoly fosters cooperation, competition, fairness and nonviolence

3 January 2022
Japan's content publishers are working with global counterparts to combat piracy, which dealt a nearly $7 billion blow to the industry in Japan during the first 10 months of 2021. (Photo by Masaharu Ban)
Media & Entertainment

Anime industry launches global fight against piracy

New organization will assist criminal investigations into unauthorized content

1 January 2022
Digital images or videos purchased as NFTs have created a new barter market, similar to paper trading cards. (Source photos from Exciting Moments' website)
Media & Entertainment

Asia's sports industry races to join frenzied NFT market

Baseball, soccer teams seek new revenue after COVID shuts stadiums

31 December 2021
Viewership data from over 90 countries where Netflix operates offers insight into the streaming services' growing appetite for Asian content. (Captured image from Netflix website)
30 December 2021
Ronson Chan, a Stand News editor and the chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, is taken away by police on Dec. 29. 
Hong Kong security law

Hong Kong's Stand News to shut down after police arrest editors

Police allege 'seditious articles' in online publication incited subversion

29 December 2021
Hayato Sumino recently played a digital piano for a livestreaming event in Tokyo's Shibuya district.
Media & Entertainment

Japanese YouTuber pianist Cateen pushes limits of classical music

Hayato Sumino's IT background breathes fresh air into conservative genre

26 December 2021
Tencent's surprise move marks the first time it will pay a half-year dividend to public shareholders. (Source photos by AP)
Retail

Tencent to slash stake in Alibaba rival JD.com

Shareholders to receive online retailer's stock as interim dividend

23 December 2021
Zee and Sony have agreed to merge, creating one of India's largest media and entertainment companies. (Source photo by AP and SPN website)
Media & Entertainment

Sony and Zee reach merger deal amid shareholder dispute

New entity aims to be India's top entertainment powerhouse

22 December 2021
South Korean company Nongshim, known for its Shin Ramyun instant noodles, has generated over $250 million in sales in the U.S. (Photo courtesy of the company)
Food & Beverage

Hot South Korean entertainment stokes global appetite for 'K-food'

Noodle makers, chicken shops turn to product placement and social media

18 December 2021
Facewhite founder Dong Zhiling stands with posters for "The Legend of Hei" and "White Snake." (Photo by Shuhei Yamada)
Media & Entertainment

Chinese online anime pioneer finds new audience in Japan

Co-founder of U17 platform blazes path for China's animated films

14 December 2021
ByteDance has been reported to have cut thousands of staff, particularly within its education units.
13 December 2021
African blackwood in Tanzania, fine-grained and dense, makes the perfect material for woodwind instruments. (Photo courtesy of Yamaha)
Companies

Inside Yamaha's strategy to secure best wood for pianos and clarinets

Efforts underway to boost yields from precious trees in Tanzania

12 December 2021
Founder and Chairman Park Kwan-ho expects income from Wemade's blockchain ecosystem "to far outgrow our game revenue once the platform is full-fledged." (Photo courtesy of the company)
Cryptocurrencies

South Korea's Wemade bets on crypto to revive gaming fortunes

Rivals scramble to follow suit as play-to-earn title draws millions of users

10 December 2021
Douban is most popular with educated young women from the country's major urban centers and is known for its analytical and influential reviews of books and movies.
Media & Entertainment

China kicks social network Douban out of app stores

Leading cultural platform under pressure from authorities and nationalists

9 December 2021
Weibo, which had 573 million monthly active users as of Sept. 30, has lost half its U.S. market value since July. 
IPO

Weibo to reach Hong Kong market as Didi pulls up stakes in U.S.

Squeezed by Beijing and Washington, China tech companies seek new sanctuary

7 December 2021
Dalian Wanda opened a new wing at its Wanda Plaza commercial complex in Shanghai in late September, as it looks to grow its way out of debt. (Photo by Shin Watanabe)
Retail

Dalian Wanda returns to growth, opening new shopping malls

Chinese developer shrugs off debts with bet on property, cinema business

6 December 2021