Life

Designed by Tadao Ando, The Shinmonzen hotel is a gentle addition to Kyoto’s Gion area. 
Life

Kyoto's Shinmonzen hotel: 'a bit exclusive, a bit secret'

Charms of traditional Japanese 'ryokan' are distilled and elevated with bespoke design

16 February 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a unique but outdated Valentine's Day tradition in Japan to slowly fade away. (Photo by Yuki Nakao) 
Consumer

COVID deals blow to Japan's unique Valentine tradition

Women less likely to hand out 'obligation chocolates' to male coworkers on Feb. 14

14 February 2022
Local snowboard instructor Farhad Naik, 30, who has spent months trapped at home after three years of back-to-back lockdowns, was one of the first to pick up his snowboard and head to Gulmarg, famous for its natural slopes, snow quality and altitude. (Photo by Safina Nabi)
Life

Snowboarders, skiers -- and smiles -- return to Kashmir

Three years of back-to-back lockdowns are finally over

13 February 2022
An outdoor bath at an inn in Shiobara Onsen, Tochigi Prefecture. A sense of the divine power believed to reside in natural springs can be experienced at countless spas across the country. (Photo by Stephen Mansfield)
Tea Leaves

Japan sees spiritual experience in the humble bath

Bathing is much more than a good long soak

9 February 2022
A sign in a Kabul cafe explains the new rule: compulsory beards for men and hijabs for women -- but not everybody complies. (Sara Perria) 
Life

Professional women of Kabul rail against Taliban-imposed restrictions

Burqas remain scarce, for now, but female workers are largely stuck at home

4 February 2022
Pattaya was the birthplace of mass tourism to Thailand, but it has fallen out favor in recent years. (All photos by George Styllis)
Tea Leaves

How the pandemic transformed a Thai beach resort

Lockdowns and art help Pattaya shed its 'sexy' image

2 February 2022
A Chinland Defense Force fighter poses for a photograph at an undisclosed location near the India-Myanmar border on Nov. 23, 2021. 
Life

Myanmar's Chin battle military with muskets

Ethnic minority has played key role in country's history of conflicts

2 February 2022
Jetstream is a global brand, with about 100 million sold worldwide each year. (Photo courtesy of Mitsubishi Pencil)
Consumer

Japanese pens become mightier in fight against plastic waste

Jetstream series uses thinner-walled refills, eyes shift to paper

30 January 2022
Stream article image
Life

Aging gracefully: Japanese men who refuse to die young

How 'ikigai' and the 'Shiga rhythm' are boosting lifespans

29 January 2022
Animation by Arif Rafhan is woven into the Malaysian documentary "Perempuan Radikal." The film focuses on Wardah, a woman who was married to a Malaysian man who turned out to be involved with the militant Islamic State group in the Middle East. (Courtesy of Fat Bidin Media)
Life

Malaysian filmmakers highlight 'collateral damage' in fight against extremism

Documentaries seek to undermine appeal of militant Islamist groups

28 January 2022
The author at Kartarpur Sahib, a gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) in the Pakistani state of Punjab on the site where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, lived for 18 years until his death in 1539. (All photos by Sonia Sarkar)
Tea Leaves

Making friends with the 'enemy'

An Indian writer takes a brief but meaningful day trip to Pakistan

26 January 2022
At 79 years old, Meenakshi Amma, right, remains a feisty proponent and practitioner of Kalaripayattu, an ancient Indian martial art. She is pictured here at her training center in the southern Indian state of Kerala. (Photo by Adithya Govind)
Life

Sword-wielding Indian granny keeps ancient martial art alive

'Kalari' fighting skills attract a new generation over social media

26 January 2022
Before Sunday's race, Golden Sixty, second from right, already had 19 wins from 20 starts, the most of any horse in 51 years of professional Hong Kong racing history.
Sports

Hong Kong superstar Golden Sixty shocks fans with upset loss

Second-place finish dashed hopes thoroughbred would match record winning streak

24 January 2022
Nobel Peace Prize nominee Nathan Law's new book "Freedom: How We Lost It and How We Fight Back," provides a synopsis of Hong Kong's fight for democracy.
Life

Books: Hong Kong's cautionary tale for freedom

Activist Nathan Law details firsthand accounts of the city's democracy movement

23 January 2022
Seven Three sells a line of "goldfish pearls" that has resonated with fans of the irregular shape.
Consumer

Japan pearl prices surge as men too don the precious beads

Gender-neutral attitudes and oyster die-off tighten market

22 January 2022
Jockey Vincent Ho rides Golden Sixty to victory in the BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile at Hong Kong's Sha Tin Racecourse on November 21.
Sports

Golden Sixty, Hong Kong's COVID wonder horse, gallops for glory

Unbeaten thoroughbred will attempt to equal record 17-race winning streak

22 January 2022
Thais invariably stood up in cinemas for the king's anthem during the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016, but times have changed.
Tea Leaves

The politics of Thai cinemas

To stand or not to stand -- an evening at the movies becomes an 'inflection point' in generational zeitgeist

19 January 2022
Activists of Hindu Sena or "Hindu Army" burn an effigy of Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav as they demand a Central Bureau of Investigation enquiry to certify their conviction that Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob of Hindus for allegedly storing beef in his house, was indeed storing beef for consumption on Oct. 9 in 2015 in New Delhi.
Tea Leaves

India highlights dark side of vegetarianism

Cow protection campaign by vigilante ideologues threatens safety of beef eaters

12 January 2022
The Shochika Theatre in Osaka where Louis Armstrong performed during his Japanese tour in 1954.
Tea Leaves

Japan's jazz coffee bars transcend global barriers

For devoted followers, 'kissa' celebrate coffee, cool music and delights of cultural appropriation

5 January 2022
Prices of saffron produced in Taketa, Japan, have risen from about 100 yen (88 cents) per gram in the mid-1990s to about 1,000 yen per gram now. (From the Taketa no Tabekata Facebook page)
Life

Saffron growers see appetizing future for Japan's 'red gold'

Rising interest in distinctive Japanese production methods is fueling greater demand

5 January 2022
Turkish chef Musa Dagdeviren joins local women in Senkoy, a town in Hatay province in Turkey's southeast, who bake bread similar to pita in a tandoor. (Photo by Engin Tokur)
Life

Saving Turkey's lost cultures, forgotten tastes and abandoned people

Culinary anthropologist Musa Dagdeviren on giving hope to the vulnerable

1 January 2022
Takeshi Suzuki draws a beer from his professional-grade tap at his home in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo.
Consumer

Can't get to your favorite bar or restaurant? Bring it home to you

Pandemic has Japanese consumers buying tools to cook, clean and build like pros

31 December 2021
The Front Office at Swissotel The Stamford Singapore. Where's the receptionist? That's you.
Life

COVID hastens the end of hotel service extras

From check-in to laundry, guests will have to become more self-sufficient

31 December 2021
The Bisei Astronomical Observatory is a local attraction. (Photo courtesy of Ibara City)
Travel & Leisure

Japanese town looks to starry skies for brighter economy

Bisei hopes 'dark-sky preserve' designation attracts more tourists

29 December 2021
A waiter pours a wine from China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region into a glass for a judge at a tasting event in Beijing. The number of independently owned wineries in China has more than doubled since 2015, according to the China Alcoholic Drinks Association.
Life

China's drinkers develop taste for premium local wines

Top producers look set for big increase in domestic and overseas sales

29 December 2021