Arts

Put together by a Japanese marketing man, Laos' LaoNavy pose in school uniform-style sailor costumes.
Media & Entertainment

Japanese-style idols LaoNavy put Laos on the pop culture map

Girl group created to advertise strawberries build Southeast Asian fan base

1 February 2020
Traditional Kalighat painter Bhaskar Chitrakar produces all of his artwork on his bed in his childhood home in Kolkata. (Photo by Manob Ghosh)
Arts

Kolkata's satirical painter sustains ancient tradition

Bhaskar Chitrakar sets down modern life in India in his artwork

31 January 2020
Art Basel Hong Kong attracted 88,000 visitors last year, but protests and the new coronavirus could impact attendance this year.
Business trends

Art Basel Hong Kong on shaky ground amid protests from galleries

Coronavirus outbreak further clouds outlook for prestigious show

28 January 2020
Artist's rendering of the National Ainu Museum and Park: The opening will follow last year's passage of the first law recognizing the Ainu as an indigenous people.
Arts

Japanese museum to showcase culture of country's indigenous Ainu

Hokkaido's first national park set for April opening, expects 1 million visitors

25 January 2020
Japan is a treasure trove for Chinese dealers looking for art pieces that originally came from China.
Society

Rich Chinese bring antiques back home from Japan

Hanging scrolls and vintage books among highly sought items

25 January 2020
Warren Hsu, CEO of Fu Wan Chocolate, inspects cacao fruit in Pingtung, in southern Taiwan. The "tree to bar" process for the company, which sources beans from the area, takes place within a range of just 30 km. (Courtesy of Fu Wan Chocolate)
Life

Taiwan's chocolate is making a sweet impression on global consumers

Despite small crops and uneven farming, Pingtung's cocoa industry is booming

24 January 2020
"Fine Wind, Clear Morning," part of the "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" by ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai.
Travel & Leisure

Japan passports adopt complex ukiyo-e for maximum protection

Hokusai's famous prints of Mount Fuji to thwart forgery

22 January 2020
Time & Style factory craftsman Yu Yokoyama.
Arts

Hokkaido furniture maker attracts big names with go-slow approach

Time & Style blends northern Japan's prized timber with old traditions

5 January 2020
Lawyer Huzzatul Islam, who is seeking a ban on the showing of "No Dorai" in Bangladesh, argues lead actress Sunerah Binte Kamal’s outfits, as above, are indecent though he has not seen the film. (Courtesy of Tanim Rahman)
Arts

Film on daring female surfer makes waves in Bangladesh

'No Dorai' yanked from cinemas over lead character's name

4 January 2020
12-year-old artist Xeo Chu lies next to his painting. (Photo courtesy of Nguyen Hai Anh)
Arts

'Vietnam's Jackson Pollock' Xeo Chu sells art for $150,000

12-year-old's work captures hearts in New York

31 December 2019
Screenings on the beach during Zushi’s annual film festival.
Life

The little Japanese cinema that could

In the coastal town of Zushi, three friends helped spark the city's cultural transformation.

27 December 2019
Toshimi Fukui, president of a Tokyo-based maker of shoe lasts. (Photo by Yoichi Iwata)
Business trends

Century-old Tokyo shoe mold workshop outrun by 3D printing

Its hand-carved lasts were loved by athletes and Amuro fans

25 December 2019
A male oracle leads a large group of devotees during the annual Kodungallur Bharani festival, in the Indian state of Kerala. (Photo by Hans Kemp)
Life

Snapping Asia's ancient ceremonies

From crocodile biting to hungry ghosts, Hans Kemp records the region's rituals

23 December 2019
A still from the 1981 film "The Three Rose Plan," featuring sassy killers on scooters and ill-fated CIA advisers. (Screen grab from YouTube) 
Life

Vietnamese cinema offers fresh perspectives on wartime history

'Apocalypse Now' has drowned out vibrant domestic dramas and documentaries

18 December 2019
A performer of the troupe Muscle Musical dances with ribbons during a performance of "Matsuri" in Tokyo.
Media & Entertainment

Tokyo's theater scene struggles to develop Broadway of its own

Scattered venues and few night performances strand audiences in twilight zone

15 December 2019
 "The World of Anna Sui," an exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design, will run until February 2020. (Photo courtesy of Anna Sui)
Interview

Anna Sui charms decades of fashion fans with iconoclastic vision

Chinese-American designer's unique narratives on display at New York exhibition

7 December 2019
Olaf from Disney's "Frozen" balloon floats down Sixth Avenue in front of Radio City Music Hall during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 28 in New York.
Media & Entertainment

Disney Japan apologizes for stealthy promotion of Frozen 2

Distributor asked seven people to create and tweet illustrations

7 December 2019
A haori jacket with a dragon design. Painting directly on clothes requires courage, as not a single stroke can be changed once it has been made. (Courtesy of Tamayo Samejima)
Arts

Tokyo 'sumi-e' artist brings new life to traditional art

From formal kimonos to fashion T-shirts, Japan's celebrated ink painting bridges eras

6 December 2019
Chai's style choices and sound put them at odds with the choreographed female idol troupes, hip-hop vocalists and fashion and beauty queens in the J-pop genre’s mainstream.
Life

Japanese pop sensation Chai dance to their own beat

In the meticulously controlled world of J-pop, the foursome embrace a DIY spirit

4 December 2019
A still from the hit film "Detention," which explores the "White Terror," a 38-year period of martial law in Taiwan during which vigilance against communist infiltration dominated daily life. (Courtesy of 1 Production)
Life

Ignored by China, Taiwan cinema walks its own road

Taipei film awards honor homegrown hit 'Detention'

1 December 2019
Source photo by Akira Kodaka
Media & Entertainment

40 years, 500 million robot figures: The secrets of Gundam's success

Behind the scenes of Japanese toymaker Bandai Namco's plastic universe

17 November 2019
Liu Cixin's "The Three-Body Problem" won science fiction's most prestigious prize, the Hugo Award for Best Novel. (Nikkei Montage/ Source photo by Arisa Moriyama)
Arts

Chinese sci-fi blockbuster book hailed by Obama wins new fans in Japan

Author Liu Cixin crosses cultural borders with 'The Three-Body Problem'

16 November 2019
The opening ceremony of the 2018 George Town Literary Festival. The main theme of this year's event is "forewords/afterwords." (Courtesy of George Town Literary Festival)
Life

Bookworms and big ideas collide at George Town Literary Festival

Award-winning Malaysian event gets a revamp under new leadership

15 November 2019
Dry Clean Only founder Patipat "Best" Chaipukdee looks over some of his latest retro-collage creations. (Photo by John Krich)
Life

Boundary-busting Thai fashion upstarts enjoy breakout moment

Bangkok's emerging young designers seek to rival Paris and Tokyo

13 November 2019
Nautch girl dancing with musicians accompanying in Calcutta, India. (Courtesy of Library of Congress)
Tea Leaves

Revenge of the courtesan

Young Indians seek validation in tales of the 'tawaifs'

6 November 2019