Master and ombak apprentices practice Hokkien <i>potehi</i> glove puppets. (Photo by Chew Win Chen)
Arts

Hokkien puppetry comes to life in Penang

A dose of modernity revitalizes traditional art and attracts crowds

28 January 2017
HMV Record Shop Shinjuku Alta in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward
Business

Vinyl boom rolls into Japan at 33rpm

Analogue music takes the stage in a country known for digital likings

15 January 2017
Waitresses who work in Akihabara district sprinkle water on a perimeter of a shrine during an annual summer event at Kanda Myojin shrine in Tokyo, Sunday, Aug. 14, 2016.
Business

Pop idols pull most out of 'otaku' wallets

Female fans playing bigger role in growth of Japan's consumer cults

15 January 2017
The Formula One races have helped burnish Singapore's image. (Photo by Glenn Dunbar)
Life

Will Singapore wave chequered flag on Formula One?

Locals question Grand Prix's fading popularity, high costs

10 January 2017
Cinema owner Wanda Group is making acquisitions in Hollywood.
Business

China may let more foreign films shine on silver screen

Cinema glut shifts focus to content, added value as box-office gains slow

7 January 2017
A still from "Your Name."
Arts

Japan's 'Your Name' debuts at No. 1 in South Korea

Rounds out sweep of big Asian media markets

7 January 2017
The low-profile Makoto Shinkai is at the forefront of a new wave of anime filmmakers.
Agents of Change 2017

Makoto Shinkai leads next wave of anime filmmakers

'Your Name' director could change the face of the anime industry

29 December 2016
The low-profile Makoto Shinkai is at the forefront of a new wave of anime filmmakers.
Arts

Makoto Shinkai brings a magic touch to anime

'Your Name' director blends fantastic plot with eye-popping detail

29 December 2016
View of the Turret at the Palace Museum, also known as the Forbidden City, at sunrise in Beijing on Dec. 9.
Arts

Hong Kongers reject Beijing's gift of a Palace Museum

Plans to construct the monument is being pushed through without consultation

28 December 2016
The protagonist in "Under the Sun" becomes a member of a prestigious young organization.(Copyright: VERTOV SIA,VERTOV REAL CINEMA OOO, HYPERMARKET FILM s.r.o.CESKA TELEVIZE,SAXONIA EN TERTAINMENT GMBH,MITTELDEUTSCHER RUNDFUNK 2015)
Politics

Life behind the scenes in Pyongyang

Russian filmmaker looks at the wider picture of state control in North Korea

28 December 2016
The "SMAP 25 Years" musical compilation, released last week, is about to become Japan's top seller for 2016.
Arts

SMAP fans mourn as Japan pop idols leave 'final stage'

Group spans boy band to TV stars in decades-long career

27 December 2016
Malaysian pop star Yuna Zarai (Courtesy of Verve Music Group)
Arts

Malaysian pop star makes waves in the West

Yuna's new R&B album hailed by critics

24 December 2016
Elizabeth Stewart sang at a packed Christmas charity concert at Hong Kong's St John's Cathedral on Dec. 5. (Photo by Terence Pang).
Arts

Young Hong Kong singer ready for next stage

Elizabeth Stewart, 11, beguiles audiences from Beijing to Borneo

23 December 2016
Hossein Farmani, left, with Steve McCurry at the opening of a career retrospective of McCurry's photography in Bangkok (Photo by Ron Gluckman)
Arts

New photo gallery boosts Bangkok art scene

Hossein Farmani brings his international experience to promote local artists

23 December 2016
The Japanese animated film debuted in China over the weekend with huge success.
Arts

Chinese fans, US critics cheer latest Japanese anime hit

'Your Name' becomes second-highest grossing domestic film of all time

7 December 2016
Thai filmmaker Pimpaka Towira.
Arts

Thai filmmaker grapples with insurgency and identity quest

Movie about displacement strikes a chord in the Indian home of Tibetan exiles

6 December 2016
The blockbuster centers on a boy and a girl who switch bodies as their lives are intertwined by an approaching comet.
Arts

'Your Name' teleports to No. 3 at box office for Japanese films

Body-switching yarn trails only 'Spirited Away,' 'Howl's Moving Castle'

29 November 2016