Life

A desert excursion near Jamba, the village in the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan where the Dera Dune Retreat is located. (Courtesy of The Clement Retreats)
Life

High-end 'social tourism' boosts appeal of India's desert state

Luxury retreats allow visitors to engage with locals in rugged Rajasthan

6 November 2019
Former pop idol Momoko Kikuchi, left, and senior government official Hiroaki Niihara, tied the knot on Monday.
Japan

'80s Japanese pop star Momoko Kikuchi weds Abe govt official

Husband Niihara is the brains driving many of the prime minister's policies

5 November 2019
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
Shinta Mani Wild river at dusk. (Courtesy of Bensley Collection -- Shinta Mani Wild and Elise Hassey)
Life

Going 'wild' in Cambodia's Cardamom Mountains

Luxury hotel designer Bill Bensley's Shinta Mani resort is as green as it gets

1 November 2019
A lesbian couple hold Japan's first partnership certificate issued by Shibuya Ward in Tokyo on Nov. 5, 2015: local governments are taking the initiative to implement same-sex partnership systems.
Opinion

Japan should make it easier for people to transition their gender

Current requirements are humiliating, expensive, painful and out of date

1 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
Sadako Ogata speaks to Nikkei in 2001. After leading the UN refugee agency, she became the Japanese prime minister's special representative on reconstruction assistance for Afghanistan.
Life

'An inspiration': Washington mourns Japan's Sadako Ogata

State Department honors former UN official who protected millions of refugees

31 October 2019
A humpback whale breaches in Gold Coast, Australia. The possibility of witnessing these spectacular splashes is a big tourist draw.  
Life

New-style whaling industry draws tourists Down Under

Watching the world's biggest mammals is big business in Australia

30 October 2019
Exhibits of Japanese infrastructure building at the Sun Moon Lake museum. (Photo by Humphrey Hawksley)
Tea Leaves

Taiwan holds lessons for 'good' and 'bad' dictatorships

Beijing should follow Taipei's model of gradual liberalization

30 October 2019
Washington Huskies forward Dominic Green wears Air Jordan Pinnacle 6 sneakers. High-end sneakers have become a hot commodity in China.
China tech

Beware of bubble, China central bank tells sneakerheads

Smartphone trading apps help fuel high-end shoe mania

30 October 2019
Traditional Japanese food goes beyond just sushi and tempura. (Photo by Takuya Imai)
Life

Can foreign chefs save Japanese cuisine from extinction?

Keepers of time-honored culinary traditions seek help from afar

27 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
The wooden vessels operated by Cat Ba Sailing Junk are equipped with septic tanks so as not to dump sewage into Lan Ha Bay, where they operate in northern Vietnam. (Photo by Ian Lloyd Neubauer)
Life

Fresh wave of foreign 'invaders' perplexes Vietnamese

Hanoi faces growing opposition to tourism policy as visitor numbers soar

25 October 2019
Fugu sashimi is typically served in thin slices. Eating the dish can be deadly if the poisonous parts are not removed properly. (Photo by Takumi Sasaki)
Politics

Japan's chefs must take test for licenses to serve puffer fish

Nationwide rules meant to put potentially deadly fugu on foreign tables

24 October 2019
People take part in the annual Taiwan Pride walk in central Taipei in October 2018.
Tea Leaves

Taiwan offers queer lessons for inclusivity in Asia

The island's relaxed approach to gender and sexuality is a beacon for the region

23 October 2019
The LGBT communities of Hualien, about 120 km south of Taipei, show that Taiwanese outside the island's capital can raise the rainbow flag, too.
Life

Taiwan's LGBT communities face backlash to marriage victory

Education policy targeted as conservatives fear teachers will turn kids gay

22 October 2019
An elevated highway running through Ginza could be turned into a park filled with greenery. (Illustration courtesy of Tokyo Expressway)
Life

Tokyo highway seeks new life as NY-style park in the sky

Plan for Ginza district draws inspiration from bustling High Line

22 October 2019
A bone marrow dish at Bangkok's 100 Mahaseth. Chef Chalee Kader likes to boast that “everything in my restaurant is local except the Ikea knives.” (Courtesy of 100 Mahaseth)
Life

Thailand's star chefs go wild for local food

Global trend is transforming traditional Thai cuisine and the lives of growers and suppliers

18 October 2019
The women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Doha: Nearly half the competitors failed to finish the Sept. 28 race amid sweltering heat and humidity.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Tokyo Olympic marathons headed to cooler Sapporo

Gov. Koike takes swipe at committee's decision to take away top attractions

17 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
Japan's Rugby World Cup squad has players from various backgrounds. (Photo by Toshiki Sasazu)
Tea Leaves

Lessons in identity and sport from Planet Rugby

Japan's Brave Blossoms show they have skin in the game

16 October 2019
China's economic growth over the past few decades has caused eating habits to change, sometimes for the worse as obesity rates are climbing.
Economy

Will 'grass-eating' help Chinese win the battle of the bulge?

Appetites for low-calorie, high-fiber meals are surging amid high obesity rate

15 October 2019
Demonstrators sing "Glory to Hong Kong" -- the unofficial anthem of the protest movement -- at the International Finance Centre shopping mall on Sept 12.
Life

'Glory to Hong Kong': anthem born of turmoil turns into music of hope

Crowds sing anonymous composer's song in malls and streets

12 October 2019
Threatening this weekend's action is massive Typhoon Hagibis, which has already washed out two first-round matches. (Source photos Getty Images)
Rugby World Cup

Typhoon hits Rugby World Cup with first-ever cancellation

Storm expected to strike on Saturday as teams brace for first-round washouts

10 October 2019
Masaichi Kaneda unleashes a pitch for the Yomiuri Giants in 1969, his final year in a pro career that began in 1950. 
Life

Obituary: Masaichi Kaneda, Japanese baseball legend with Korean roots

Pitcher, who grew up in an era of ethnic prejudice, won a record 400 games

8 October 2019