Features

A barista serves coffee in one of Seoul's many trendy cafes, the demand for which is growing throughout Asia due to the emergence of a new breed of pandemic era coffee connoisseurs. (Photo by Jean Chung)
The Big Story

Asia's coffee revolution: From Indonesia to Vietnam, homegrown beans are back

More disposable income and TikTok trends push coffee ahead of tea

26 January 2022
Joko Widodo is confident investments will flow into Indonesia if "we stop [exports of] bauxite, we stop copper, we stop tin, we stop gold, everything stops, stops, stops."
Asia Insight

Indonesia's drive to lift resource curse shakes global producers

Jokowi sees export ban on tin, gold, copper as invitation to foreign investors

25 January 2022
 (Source photos by Tsuyoshi Tamehiro, Karina Nooka, Wataru Ito and Reuters)
Market Spotlight

Weak yen complicates life for Kuroda and Kishida

Traders predict further tests for Japanese currency

24 January 2022
Garment workers sew clothes at a factory outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia in 2020. (Photo by Vann Soben)
Business Spotlight

Rising exports mask skills gap in Cambodia's garment industry

Experts say long-term prospects rest on training management talent

21 January 2022
The untapped potential of female workers can bring huge benefits to the workplace, research by Keio University found, boosting return on investment and productivity.
Datawatch

Women's working hours underscore gender disparity in Japan

Burden of overtime and job transfers dissuade women from full-time employment

20 January 2022
One could say that Xi Jinping himself is a risk to the Chinese economy. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/Getty Images)
China up close

Analysis: From leader to students, overconfidence clouds China

Reckless policies hurt economy and delay Xi Jinping's goal to overtake U.S.

20 January 2022
As Eastern Europe edges closer to war, the U.S. and Russia are squaring off as China watches the outcome.
The Big Story

Ukraine crisis highlights superpowers' quarrel over spheres of influence

As Russia and the U.S. focus on Eastern Europe, China is taking notes for Taiwan

19 January 2022
"The universe is an awfully big place," author Kurt Vonnegut wrote. "There is room enough for an awful lot of people to be right about things and still not agree."
Asia Insight

Space powers take aim at moon in quest for resources and glory

U.S. and China jostle for lead as Japan, South Korea and others carve niches

18 January 2022
Economists have diverging views on whether the Turkish central bank and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan can stick to a strategy of loosening policy in the face of rocketing prices. Annual inflation in December hit 36%. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Market Spotlight

'Let's pray it holds': Turkey's lira gamble keeps investors guessing

New devaluation-protected savings products halt decline but inflation still a menace

17 January 2022
Foreign investors played little role in last year’s Mongolian Stock Exchange rally. (Source photos by Anand Tumurtogoo)
Market Spotlight

Mongolia stock market turns heads with 133% gain

Benchmark index topped world in 2021 as investors prepared for bank IPOs

14 January 2022
Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani poses for a photo before the company's annual general meeting in Mumbai in September 2019. 
Business Spotlight

Anil Ambani's financial empire goes under the hammer

Reliance Capital creditors hope court administrator has more luck selling assets

14 January 2022
One of Xi Jinping's most trusted, favorite retainers, Cui Tiankai, has made remarks that show a new atmosphere in China, one that tolerates moderate political and economic debate. (Nikkei montage/Reuters/AP)
China up close

Analysis: China's ex-Washington envoy resurfaces with an important message

Cui Tiankai says war of anger does not help the national cause

13 January 2022
Cuts to the defense budget since the end of the Cold War and low profit margins are some of the reasons why Japan's domestic manufacturers have pulled back from the production of military equipment.
Datawatch

Japan's defense industry on the ropes amid growing threats

Reliance on U.S. for equipment grows as more companies stop production

12 January 2022
China has been sending aid to Afghanistan, which is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis, since the withdrawal of U.S. troops last August. 
The Big Story

Too big to fail: China eyes Afghanistan investment amid fears of state collapse

Allies China and Pakistan keen to maintain regional stability after U.S. withdrawal

12 January 2022
"Just like Kim Il Sung had 'juche' and Kim Jong Il had 'songun,' Kim Jong Un too is trying to create his own thought form, by combining these two ideologies and naming it after himself."
Asia Insight

Kim Jong Un-ism: Leader seeks 'new' ideology for North Korea

The third Kim is trying to build an image distinct from his father and grandfather

11 January 2022
Dennis Uy looks on as President Rodrigo Duterte rings the Philippine Stock Exchange bell to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the listing of the tycoon's Phoenix Petroleum in 2017.
Business Spotlight

Duterte's tycoon donor Dennis Uy faces new political landscape

Businessman navigates pandemic and politics as president's influence ebbs

7 January 2022
Editors and writers of Nikkei Asia's Big Story take a look back at some of their favorite pieces from 2021.
The Big Story

Coups, couriers and COVID: The Big Story 2021 Hall of Fame

From the Tokyo Olympics to Myanmar, a year through the eyes of Nikkei Asia's cover story writers

5 January 2022
Elections in Asia this year will be an important test of several countries' political mood and institutions.
Asia Insight

From Philippines to South Korea: A guide to a busy election year

Democracy under pressure in Asia as pendulum swings toward authoritarianism

4 January 2022
A lithium site operated by Chile's SQM. Suppliers of the battery material are rushing to increase output. (Photo by Nozomu Ogawa)
Market Spotlight

Battery costs rise as lithium demand outstrips supply

Carmakers scramble for raw materials in a bid to win global electric vehicle race

3 January 2022
Cortical Labs is attempting to harness the power of human brain cells to make computer chips far more powerful and efficient. (Photos courtesy of Cortical Labs) 
Business Spotlight

Brains on a chip: Why startups are combining cells and silicon

Australia's Cortical Labs is working on 'holy grail' of AI: general intelligence

31 December 2021
Streamlining bloated government-related organizations and easing regulations would not fit Chinese President Xi Jinping's policy of making state-owned companies bigger. (Source photos by AP and Reuters)  
China up close

Analysis: China's mandarins face 25% pay cut as 'alchemy' fades

Local governments can no longer sell land rights for easy cash

30 December 2021
Although the U.S. Federal Reserve is starting to tighten its grip on credit, other central banks continue their shift to gold, reflecting global concerns about the dollar-based monetary regime.
Datawatch

Central banks accelerate shift from dollar to gold worldwide

More resilient to upcoming rate hikes, holdings rose to a 31-year high in 2021

29 December 2021
The results of our readers' 2022 predictions survey are in. Here's what you can expect from Asia at the Grammys, in the World Cup, at the gasoline pump, along the supply chain, in regard to marriage equality and how much longer you'll be wearing those masks.
The Big Story

Your predictions for Asia in 2022

From soccer to the supply chain, 2022 brings plenty of unknowns. We asked you to forecast what's in store.

29 December 2021
As the pandemic continued in 2021, Myanmar military leader Min Aung Hlaing seized power, the U.S. and U.K. agreed to share nuclear submarine tech with Australia, Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai made an explosive revelation and BTS ruled the airwaves. 
Asia Insight

From Myanmar to AUKUS to BTS: Newsmakers that shaped Asia in 2021

As COVID raged, the security landscape shifted and superstars made their mark

28 December 2021
Tech manufacturers were some of the biggest gainers and Chinese education companies among the losers on Asian stock markets in 2021. (Source photo by Getty Images and Lasertec) 
Market Spotlight

Asia's lesser-known tech manufacturers shine in 2021 stock market

Chinese education companies are biggest losers; Alibaba and Tencent tumble

27 December 2021