Arts

Hanae Mori with her granddaughter Izumi Mori at the finale of a fashion show in Paris in July 2004. (Getty Images)
Obituaries

Hanae Mori saw women's success, Japan's revival in butterfly motif

Trailblazing designer led way for Japanese fashion's international acclaim

18 August 2022
Filipinos take selfies at a cinema screening of "Maid in Malacanang" in Manila. (Photo by Ella Hermonio)
Politics

Marcos movie generates crowds and controversy in the Philippines

Film accused of distorting history becomes a blockbuster hit

17 August 2022
A poster for "The Boys Club," Yihwen Chen's award-winning short documentary about the sexual harassment, bullying and misogyny she faced while making her first feature documentary for a Malaysian media organization. (Courtesy of Yihwen Chen)
Arts

Machismo plays starring role in Malaysian film world

With 'The Boys Club,' director lifts veil on sexual harassment in local moviemaking

17 August 2022
Fashion designer Issey Miyake is shown in this photo from 2010.
Obituaries

Issey Miyake favored creation over destruction, 1 cloth at a time

Famed Japanese designer and atomic bomb survivor revolutionized fashion

10 August 2022
Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake died of liver cancer at age 84 on Aug. 5. (File photo) 
Obituaries

Japanese fashion star Issey Miyake dies at 84

Kimono-inspired works won the designer renown in haute couture

9 August 2022
Opened in 1939, the Cathay Cineplex was the only air-conditioned movie theater in Singapore before its independence. (Photo by Mayuko Tani)
Media & Entertainment

Realignment of cinema industry accelerates in Singapore

Small operator starts experiments at iconic theater following its closure

31 July 2022
From left: Shutaro Matsui, Makoto Ozone, Sadao Watanabe and Kuriko Tsugawa. Japanese musicians are learning to coexist with the virus, exploring new ways to reach audiences while fine-tuning their skills. (Photos by Ken Kobayashi)
Arts

Japanese jazz musicians in tune with post-pandemic 'new normal'

Performers continue to jam and learn despite COVID curbs

30 July 2022
Khadi is the fabric of choice for Indian fashion designer Ashish Satyavrat Sahu, who launched his Khadiwala Designer brand six years ago. (Courtesy of Ashish Satyavrat Sahu)
Arts

Humble Indian fabric takes fashion world by storm

Appeal of environmentally sustainable 'khadi' is growing at home and abroad

22 July 2022
Works by Cinema Caravan and Takashi Kuribayashi are grouped around an open-air cinema with a bar and a functioning herbal steam sauna in the shape of the quake-hit nuclear reactor in Fukushima, Japan. (Photo by Nathalie Johnston)
Arts

Indonesian collective breaks fresh ground in Europe

Ruangrupa is first Asian artistic director of Germany's Documenta Fifteen event

20 July 2022
Most of the museum's artworks in the treasury were hand-picked by former Queen Farah Pahlavi, and largely funded by the National Iranian Oil Co.
Arts

Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art hides its treasures away

Built as monument to old regime, it 'has lost its spirit,' draws few visitors

17 July 2022
Thai band 4Mix is building up a global fan base and has performed songs in Spanish and Japanese. (Courtesy of the Royal Thai Embassy in Japan)
Arts

Thai songs chase K-pop to become Asia's next big hit

Streaming revolution helps artists break into international markets

15 July 2022
A former advertising copywriter and fashion magazine journalist, Veeraporn Nitiprapha confesses she began writing novels at age 44 to impress her bookish son and as an antidote to "telling lies" in her previous jobs by "giving hope to people only by making them buy things." (All photos courtesy of Veeraporn Nitiprapha)
Arts

Thai author transforms recent history into intimate fables

Veeraporn Nitiprapha's complex novels have found a wide following

13 July 2022
Poster artist Banhan Thaitanaboon at the "Bai Pid" exhibition at Bangkok’s Woof Pack gallery. After a decadeslong hiatus from movie poster painting, growing fan interest and special commissions have led him to pick up his paintbrush again. (Courtesy of Tanasak Boonlam)
Arts

Thailand's unique movie posters steal the show

Hand-painted montages and their artists play starring role in Bangkok exhibition

6 July 2022
A poster for "Broker," the first film Japanese director Hirokazu Koreeda has made in South Korea. (Photo courtesy of CJENM)
Society

Movie 'Broker' puts spotlight on 'baby boxes' in Japan, South Korea

Director Koreeda inspired by difference in two countries' drop-off services

3 July 2022
A quarter-century after Hong Kong was handed over to Chinese rule, the city's artists, educators and activists are leaving in droves, stifled by a crackdown on civil liberties and cultural expression.
The Big Story

Hong Kong's identity in crisis after 25 years of Beijing rule

Forced out of the city by China's crackdowns, the Hong Kong diaspora fight to save their culture from afar

29 June 2022
Park Hae-il, left, and Tang Wei in a still from "Decision to Leave," which won South Korea's Park Chan-wook the prize for best director at the recent Cannes Film Festival. (Courtesy of Festival de Cannes)
Arts

Asian filmmakers winning over the world as confidence grows

Streaming platforms are widening access to regional content

28 June 2022
A traditional Japanese dance known as Bon Odori is performed at a festival in southern Malaysia in July 2019. (Photo by Takashi Nakano)
Malaysia in transition

Malaysian official tells Muslims to shun Japanese festival

Minister cites 'religious elements' in decades-old gathering -- but not without pushback

27 June 2022
Anti-government protesters in Bangkok in January 2014: Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit's newly revised "A History of Thailand" is an essential reference work for all.
Arts

Books: A fresh take on the history of Thailand

Authors of acclaimed book put recent events in historical context

22 June 2022
Colorful yukata are a staple of summer festivals and fireworks displays in Japan. (Photo by Akiyoshi Inoue)
Life

Japan's timeless yukata blend tradition and modern flair

Ancient dyeing techniques endure, even as summer kimonos enjoy new life

18 June 2022
BTS members at the Grammy Awards in April at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. (Photo courtesy of Hybe)
Media & Entertainment

BTS hiatus reveals soft underbelly of K-pop industry

South Korea's talent agencies caught off guard by bombshell announcement

16 June 2022
Members of K-pop boy band BTS say they plan to explore solo projects while taking a break from the group.
Media & Entertainment

South Korea's BTS announces 'hiatus' to focus on solo projects

News hits agency Hybe's share price while fans promise to wait for band's return

15 June 2022
Park Chan-wook picks up the Best Director Award at the 75th Cannes Film Festival, in southern France, on May 28.
Arts

South Korea makes its mark at Cannes again

Park Chan-wook wins best director; Song Kang-ho takes best actor prize

14 June 2022
Protest objects of the group Thalufah are displayed at Cartel Gallery, including cooking implements, wire cutters, gas masks and a handmade pipe device to spray colored water. (Photo by Philip Cornwel-Smith)
Arts

Thais see art in everyday objects of protest

Exhibitions and a mobile museum record the ephemera of political struggles

8 June 2022
Artifacts found in the wreckage of the Spanish galleon San Jose are seen in a picture released on June 6. (Colombian Presidency/Handout via REUTERS)
Arts

Colombia discovers two historical shipwrecks in Caribbean

Sites near galleon that sank in 1708 with treasure worth billions in today's dollars

7 June 2022
Organizers of this year's edition of the Borneo Jazz Festival hope to broaden the event's appeal by inviting such performers as Switzerland-based DJ Estephe, pictured, and local hip-hop artists. (Courtesy of Borneo Jazz Festival) 
Arts

Borneo segues back into international music groove

Sarawak returns to the arts limelight after COVID-19 lockdowns

1 June 2022