Arts: News & Insights

A production of "Tin Soldier" for children. (Photo by Yuriy Korotetskiy)

Arts

Russian war refugees boost Kazakhstan's theater scene

New plays bring diversity and cater to all ages in different languages

16 March 2024

Akio Sakurai, aka Mr. Jimmy, unleashes his inner Jimmy Page during a performance. Sakurai has been reproducing the look and sound of his favorite artist for more than three decades. (Courtesy of Stefan Nilsson)

Arts

Japan's 'Mr Jimmy' climbs stairway to perfection

Film highlights how a former kimono salesman takes copycat routines to new heights

15 March 2024

"Haze Days" by Yoshitomo Nara is displayed during a preview at Sotheby's in New York City on May 8, 2023.

Arts

China reclaims No. 2 spot in global art market, report says

Strong rebound was driven by pent-up demand after Beijing axed COVID curbs

13 March 2024

Kiyoko Shibuya, left, and Takashi Yamazaki, winners of the Academy Award for best visual effects for "Godzilla Minus One."

Media & Entertainment

Japan's Oscar wins belie challenges faced by entertainment industries

Continued success hinges on support for country's manga, anime and film creators

12 March 2024

Hayao Miyazaki says he can only make movies when he is sitting at his desk, which is only partially true as his films are filled with the kind of details that can only come from sharp observations of the world around us. (Source photo by Nozomu Ogawa and 2023 Studio Ghibli)

Arts

Hayao Miyazaki stubbornly hand draws his way to a third Oscar

Animator also relies on his sharp observations and outlandish imagination

11 March 2024

Yamaoka Tesshu (1836–1888), "Talismanic Dragon," 19th century, hanging scroll, ink on paper. One of the works on display at "None Whatsoever," the new exhibition of Japanese art at the New York-based Japan Society. (Courtesy of the Gitter-Yelen Collection: Kurt A. Gitter, M.D. and Alice Yelen Gitter)

Arts

Art of Zen goes to New York

Buddhist ink paintings and calligraphies convey the irreverent and the profound with wry humor

9 March 2024

Akira Toriyama in 1982 and Son Goku, a hero from the "Dragon Ball" series. Originally published as a comic, "Dragon Ball" became a hit animation globally. (Source photos by Jiji and Bird Studio/Shueisha/Kyodo)

Obituaries

Akira Toriyama, creator of 'Dragon Ball,' dies at 68

Renowned Japanese comic artist died of acute subdural hematoma

8 March 2024

A Tokyo bookstore employee holds translated South Korean novels, which are drawing more readers in Japan. (Photo by Kana Watanabe)

Arts

South Korean tales of inequality strike chord with Japan readers

Boom started with 'Kim Ji-young, Born 1982,' about a woman facing sexism

8 March 2024

Arts

Japanese digital art exhibition explores AI risks in Shenzhen

Rhizomatiks' first solo China show pushes boundaries between real and virtual

8 March 2024

A scene from "To Kill A Tiger": Directed by Indian-born Canadian Nisha Pahuja, the documentary has won over 25 awards at international film festivals. (All photos by Mrinal Desai)

Arts

Oscar-nominated documentary focuses on sexual abuse in India

'To Kill A Tiger' chronicles father's quest to achieve justice for his teenage daughter

7 March 2024

Kanta, one of the characters in "My Neighour Totoro," is played by actor Ka Long Kelvin Chan. Kanta feeds his chickens, which are controlled by puppeteers who are integral to the production. (Courtesy of RSC and Nippon TV)

Arts

Ghibli's 'Totoro' steals hearts, minds and accolades on London stage

After 2 successful runs, producers say future 'very positive' for iconic show

5 March 2024

Ryusuke Hamaguchi in Macao in January: The director, whose characters "have their own mysteries ... have secrets like real people," keeps his own story to himself. (Courtesy of Festival of Young Cinema (Asia-Europe))

Arts

Oscar-winning director Ryusuke Hamaguchi and the art of storytelling

Japanese filmmaker shares how his life shaped films like 'Evil Does Not Exist'

3 March 2024

Thai filmmaker Nontawat Numbenchapol: After making his name with a series of observational documentaries, he has branched out into narrative features with dark social realist film “Doi Boy.” (All photos courtesy of Nontawat Numbenchapol)

Arts

Thai filmmaker switches to fiction to reveal migrant realities

Nontawat Numbenchapol's debut feature 'Doi Boy' explores illegal border crossings

1 March 2024

Sony Group reportedly acquired the rights to half of Michael Jackson's catalog for more than $600 million. (Photo courtesy of Sony Group)

Media & Entertainment

Sony aims for high note on music business with Bruce Springsteen catalog

Entertainment group devises way to quickly pay streaming revenue to artists

27 February 2024

Arun Yogiraj with his sculpture of Ram Lalla, left, and the idol dressed and decorated on the right. (Source photos by Arun Yogiraj and Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra)

Arts

Indian sculptor gives form to PM Modi's Hindu dreams

Arun Yogiraj's latest high-profile creation at center of new Ram Temple in Ayodhya

25 February 2024

One of the many striking images selected for display at PHOTO 2024: Tony Albert, David C Collins and Kieran Lawson, "Warakurna Superheroes No. 1," 2017, archival pigment print on paper, 100 by 150 cm. (Courtesy of Sullivan+Strumpf)

Arts

Australia's largest photography festival comes into focus

With far-sighted agenda, Melbourne-based event aims for regional and international impact

24 February 2024

A group shot of the filmmakers who participated in the fourth "Changing Climate, Changing Lives Film Festival" in Bangkok. The festival opened its awards to international submissions for the first time this year. (Photo by Supakarn Phadungjai for CCCL Film Festival)

Arts

Thai environmental film festival goes international

'Changing Climate, Changing Lives' awards top prize to Japan's 'Miwatari'

23 February 2024

Daryl Kho's "Mist-Bound" was inspired by the experience of losing his father after a double stroke and vascular dementia. (Nikkei montage/Source photos courtesy of the author)

Arts

Malaysian fantasy novel portrays battle against dementia

Award-winning author's saga widely translated across Asia

16 February 2024

Dian Sastrowardoyo plays the lead character Dasiyah, the daughter of a Javanese cigarette magnate who harbors dreams of producing her own cigarettes in the 1960s. (All photos courtesy of Netflix)

Arts

Indonesia's 'Cigarette Girl' takes on a macho world

As government launches new smoking tax, hit TV series reignites debate on country's widespread habit

12 February 2024

Seiji Ozawa sought to convey composers' intentions to musicians, and through them to the audience. (Photo by Yasuaki Sako)

Obituaries

Seiji Ozawa, master of communication, earned esteem across the world

Acclaimed Japanese conductor touched audiences from U.S. to space

10 February 2024

Seiji Ozawa conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra during its traditional New Year's concert on Jan. 1, 2002.

Obituaries

Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa dies at age 88

He was the first Asian music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

9 February 2024

Art group teamLab uses cutting-edge technology to immerse visitors in its creations. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)

Media & Entertainment

Digital art collective teamLab unveils dazzling new Tokyo site

Exhibition in swish Azabudai Hills complex expected to lure tourists

9 February 2024

Members of the Indonesian comedy group Trio Netizen, from left, Ekky Parigayung, Rio Saputra and Sandi Sukron Munawar: While they do not shy away from controversial topics, they are careful to steer clear of potential political landmines. (Photo by Trio Netizen)

Arts

Indonesian comedians walk fine line ahead of election

Comics satirize politicians and institutions, despite legal risks

8 February 2024

Foreigners attend an annual Muay Thai event in the ancient city of Ayutthaya, Thailand. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)

Politics

Thailand takes aim at film censorship, Muay Thai in soft power push

Paetongtarn Shinawatra says movie restrictions to only cover the monarchy

29 January 2024

Lee Kun-hee, center, the former Samsung Group chairman, in 2010. The family donated his vast art collection to the South Korean nation after his death in 2020 following a long illness. (Photo courtesy of Samsung)

Arts

Late Samsung chairman's art collection to go on global display

Major exhibitions overseas will showcase Lee Kun-hee's cultural legacy

27 January 2024