Arts

Shuri Castle dates back to the late 14th century. 
Life

Shuri Castle and the deep sorrow of losing one's history

Building was embodiment of Ryukyu history and a gateway to Asia

3 November 2019
"After 'Freedom of Expression?'" -- a work by South Korean artists Kim Seo-kyung and Kim Eun-sung -- is shown after being unveiled to the media in Nagoya on Oct. 14 following the close earlier in the day of the Aichi Triennale. The exhibit was reinstalled on Oct. 8 after it was abruptly closed two months earlier.
Arts

War-themed artwork row reflects free speech tensions in Japan

Statue's removal and reinstallation highlight failure of Aichi Triennale

31 October 2019
Entrance to the 41-story Prestige Tower.
Life

Inside the painstaking recreation of Hotel Okura's famous lobby

Tokyo's toppled modernist masterpiece gets a second life with the help of traditional craftsmanship

27 October 2019
"Birthday" by Kunio Kaneko, 2019 woodcut, 39 by 58 cm, ed 150. (Courtesy of the College Women's Association of Japan)
Arts

Six decades on, Japanese printmaking show still captures zeitgeist

Annual exhibit brings modern techniques to traditional art

19 October 2019
Graham Gilbert, one of the artists involved with The Torch program. (Courtesy of The Torch)
Arts

Indigenous offenders in Australia find new life in art

Pioneering prison program aims to foster pride and creativity among country's Aboriginal population

16 October 2019
Then-British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visits Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon in January 2017.
Tea Leaves

Misunderstood and misquoted, Kipling bridges East-West divide

Early 'poet of empire' should not be used to justify fear of dialogue and negotiation

9 October 2019
Locals check out contemporary works at Art Basel in Hong Kong. (Photo by John Krich) 
Tea Leaves

Hong Kong's political 'revolution' is artistic as well

A vibrant art scene created the conditions and demand for free expression

2 October 2019
"Crazy Rich Asians" cast members Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding and Gemma Chan arrive at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles in January.
Media & Entertainment

'Crazy Rich Asians' fans have to wait a few years for sequel

Scheduling increasingly difficult as Hollywood flings open doors to Asian stars

2 October 2019
Jia Pingwa is a popular and critically acclaimed Chinese author, but are his days of literary freedom numbered? (Courtesy of Nicky Harman)
Tea Leaves

Censorship and apathy strip China's branches bare

Jia Pingwa's 'Broken Wings' delivers a harsh take on rural realities

25 September 2019
Detail of a scene from the Ramayana, an ancient Indian epic, drawn by the late Indonesian artist I Gusti Nyoman Lempad. (Photo by Stephen Grenville) 
Arts

Finding precious art amid Bali's commercial bustle

Ignored by many tourists, Ubud's Temple of Painting is a treasure trove

20 September 2019
The three teenage rockers that make up Voice of Baceprot are influenced by Western bands like Rage Against The Machine and Muse. (Courtesy of Voice of Baceprot)
Tea Leaves

Muslim girls rock, but not about religion

Indonesian band Voice of Baceprot has a different story to tell

18 September 2019
Chinese political cartoonist Badiucao waves his "Lennon Wall" flag, which he created as a symbol of Hong Kong's freedom, at a conference in Melbourne on Sept. 4.
Arts

Satirical cartoonist Badiucao feels Beijing's ire in Australia

Hong Kong protesters embrace artist's graphic commentary on city standoff

13 September 2019
Actor Jason Statham takes a selfie with Chinese fans during a red carpet event ahead of the premiere of 'Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw' in Beijing on Aug. 5.
Media & Entertainment

China saves 'Hobbs and Shaw' with $113m debut

Fast and Furious sequel notches China's second-biggest opening of 2019

27 August 2019
Kendra "Ardneks" Ahimsa launches his Artist Attire series at The Stories creative space in Osaka, surrounded by his art.
Arts

Indonesian artist turns psychedelia revival into business empire

From bands to business districts, the world wants Kendra Ahimsa's trippy designs

14 August 2019
The 2015 TV series "The Last Prince" depicts China's struggle against Imperial Japan: Chinese authorities are urging broadcasters to air patriotic programs of the 70th anniversary of modern China's founding in October.
Politics

China tightens grip on TV and films ahead of National Day

Beijing bans 'too entertaining' programs amid regional tensions

8 August 2019
Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh, Constance Wu and Gemma Chan pose in January. "Crazy Rich Asians" star Awkwafina's recent film "The Farewell" has hit the theaters on July 12. 
Media & Entertainment

After 'Crazy Rich' smash, Hollywood embraces Asian faces

Success of Awkwafina's 'The Farewell' proves diversity is good business

31 July 2019
Reproductions of works by Thai contemporary artists accompany the poems and short stories in the first edition of The Bangkok Literary Review.
Arts

Found in translation: Thai literature reaches West

New translators lead contemporary authors out of the global margins

21 July 2019
"Dear Galileo" is one of the iconic films released by the now-defunct Thai studio GTH. (Photo by Pim Wangtechawat)
Tea Leaves

How a film shaped and captured restless Thai generation

A decade on, nothing has matched GTH's penetrating 'Dear Galileo'

17 July 2019
Chinese actress Fan Bingbing at Cannes Film Festival in 2018. Huayi Brothers has produced many of Fan's movies.
Politics

China movie studio embraces Communist Party as industry turns red

Huayi Brothers pledges allegiance after suffering huge losses through censorship

14 July 2019
This artist rendering depicts performers making ukiyo-e paintings come to life at Yokohama's Kanagawa Kenmin Hall.
Arts

'Ukiyo-e cafe' to turn classic paintings into high-tech period plays

Yokohama recruits Japan's Blue Man Group to draw rugby fans and Olympic tourists

13 July 2019
Singaporean artist Yip Yew Chong's mural at Lodhi Art District (Photo by Pallavi Aiyar)
Tea Leaves

In Delhi, urban regeneration becomes work of art

India's first open-air public gallery bridges the divide between rich and poor

10 July 2019
Members of K-Pop band BTS perform on ABC's 'Good Morning America' show in Central Park in New York on May 15.
Tea Leaves

K-pop sings a universal tune, even in Korean

Slick product shows how to conquer world music -- with government help

3 July 2019
The main character from “Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow’s Joe),” a boxing manga created by Tetsuya Chiba.
Arts

Japanese art school 'sows the seeds' of manga in China

Comic course at Chinese university led by renowned creator from Japan

1 July 2019
Author Masayuki Kusumi tucks in to a plate of pasta. 
Life

The art of eating alone

Why are hundreds of thousands of Japanese poring over the culinary musings of a fictional salesman? We meet the Solitary Gourmet

28 June 2019
Kumamon hugs a Taiwanese tourist at a Kumamon Square in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan on June 14. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
Business trends

Kumamon, Japan’s billion-dollar bear, ventures abroad

Watch out Mickey Mouse, Kumamoto's popular mascot is going global

27 June 2019