Life

Local ladies dressed in traditional ethnic garb were a common sight at Imphal's Hapta Kangjeibung, one of the Sangai Festival's main locations. (Photo by Kit Yeng Chan)
Life

India's Manipur shows new face to the world

Tourism picks up as the northeast state emerges from a violent past

29 January 2019
Japanese sales of apparel worn by tennis star Naomi Osaka soared after her Australian Open championship win this weekend, as did sign-ups for tennis schools.
Business trends

Naomi Osaka's Aussie win serves an ace for Japan tennis goods

Citizen Watch and Adidas sell out of products sported by new world No. 1

29 January 2019
Blue Bird President Noni Purnomo
Life

The sky's the limit

The CEO of Indonesia's iconic Blue Bird taxi company explains her 10 steps to success

23 January 2019
The shop at Somès' headquarters in Sunagawa, Hokkaido 
Life

Taking the reins

How a small Hokkaido saddle maker came to make products fit for an emperor

23 January 2019
Foreign tourists explore an old Dutch built Fort along the Southern coastal belt in Sri Lanka. (Photo by Rajpal Abeynayake)
Tea Leaves

Sri Lanka recovers its tourism mojo

Touted as a top global destination for 2019, challenges remain

23 January 2019
Sumire Nakamura will become history's youngest professional go player in April.
Life

For Japan's 9-year-old go prodigy, first step to greatness led abroad

Professional group aims to develop young talent for international competition

20 January 2019
"In Family We Trust" has struck a chord with many Thai viewers.
Tea Leaves

TV drama shines unsettling light on Thai family values

Improbably happy endings emerge from complex and painful social dynamics

9 January 2019
Nanbu Bijin sake reportedly sells for well over $100 per bottle in China. (Photo by Ryuichi Tomita).
Economy

Sake, beef and matcha lead Japan's food exports to record $9bn

Country's agriculture gains fans in China, Hong Kong and US markets

8 January 2019
Japan's rugby team celebrates victory against South Africa at Brighton Community Stadium in the U.K. in September 2015.
Opinion

Year of the Brave Blossoms

Rugby World Cup creates chances for Japan to win points on and off the playing field

4 January 2019
Setouchi Omoya, in Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, can accommodate groups of up to 12, but the century-old folk house is booked solid for the next few months.
Business trends

Japan's 'minpaku' lodgings offer unique holidays but few bargains

Sleep in a century-old house for $370, or perhaps a temple for $1,080

4 January 2019
Keizo Obuchi, then chief cabinet secretary, announcing the Heisei era in 1989, when Emperor Akihito ascended to the throne.
Japan's Reiwa era

Japan to unveil new era name on April 1

Announcement will come a month before next emperor's enthronement

1 January 2019
The floating village of Chnok Tru consists of about 1,700 households on a tributary of the Mekong River.
Life

Dams threaten traditional way of life in Mekong Basin

Hydro projects upstream disrupt ecosystem, leading to declining fish catches

30 December 2018
Shinta Ratri, a transgender Muslim in Indonesia, copes in a culture with strictly defined gender norms.
Life

Prayers of a transgender Indonesian

One Muslim's decadelong effort to embrace differences while keeping the faith

29 December 2018
Samooh Ali of the Maldives, right, defends the ball against a Singaporean rival during a friendly match in the city-state on March 23. (Pictobank/Getty Images)
Tea Leaves

When the 'beautiful game' transforms national confidence

Maldives shows that victory for Asia's soccer minnows means more than just goals

26 December 2018
Rice samples wait to be filed in the long-term storage vault at the International Rice Research Institute in Los Baños, Philippines. (Photo by Peter Guest)
Life

Rice vault offers food security hope as world keeps warming

Philippines 'library' of seed varieties can cushion the impact of climate change

23 December 2018
Chef Andrew Wong's restaurant Kym's in London focuses on the "art and technique" of Chinese roasting. (Courtesy of Kym's)
Life

London's hot food trend: Refined Chinese

Chefs introduce the cuisine's unfamiliar flavors and its 'QQ' textures

22 December 2018
Japanese workers, along with Thais and Americans, took fewer days off than their counterparts elsewhere, a survey by Expedia found, citing pressure from superiors and colleagues.
Business trends

Japanese workers take only half their paid vacation, survey finds

Legal change may force more time off, but altering attitudes will be hard

18 December 2018
Dalal Karra-Hassan leads a group of women through a workout program at a Sydney park.
Business trends

Women-only gyms and fitness groups draw Australian Muslims

For the modest, workouts away from the prying eyes of men are a comfort

17 December 2018
Heritage Walk Calcutta co-founder Tathagata Neogi kept prices of his company's tours low so residents could afford to be tourists in their own city. (Photo by Anuradha Sharma)
Life

Kolkata tourists become students of unsolved murders and WWII

An archaeology professor flees the classroom to lecture in the streets

16 December 2018
Taiwan's Nantou Distillery is known for its Omar single malt whiskey. (Photo by George Koutsakis)
Life

Omar whisky: a Taiwanese tale of grapes and barley

Nantou distillery uses wine casks to add extra depth to its world-class beverage

16 December 2018
Olympic hopeful Sonam Deki, 23, lines up a shot while training in Thimphu. (Photo by Melyn Mckay)
Life

Bhutanese sportswomen aim for the top

Female participation in sport takes flight as mountain kingdom modernizes

15 December 2018
Dubbo zoo visitors feed carrots to a giraffe. (Photo by Di Smith)
Life

'Glamping' thrill in Australia's bush has a serious side

Luxury holidays bring visitors up close to endangered rhino

9 December 2018
Foreground shows the roof space of the Tourist Burma building, before restoration began, with the Sule Pagoda center (Photo by Chiara Luxardo)
Life

Restoration project reopens 'best view in Yangon'

Tourist Burma building offers unmatched perspective on city's heritage

8 December 2018
Heshui's abandoned elementary school symbolizes rural China's plight.
Economy

Disappearing rural schools a troubling sign for China's economy

Urbanization disrupts village life while draining key labor pool

8 December 2018
Tourists return to Boracay, Philippines, on Oct. 26, after the island was closed to visitors for six months.
Tea Leaves

Boracay's cautionary tale for region's scenic cashcows

Future murky for tarnished tourism poster child

5 December 2018