A girl brushes her teeth in Mawlamyine, the capital of Myanmar's Mon state, in 2019. The Mon are said to have more in common with the country's Burman majority than most other minorities living in Myanmar's highlands, but their culture and traditions remain strong.
Life

Mon forge their own path in Myanmar's civil war

Heirs to a great civilization navigate a turbulent political landscape

21 December 2023
Visitors at a Kopi Titik Koma cafe in Jakarta. Indonesia is forecast to be the world's fourth-biggest coffee producer in 2023-2024. (Photo by Devin Jimie)
Food & Beverage

Indonesian coffee shops tempt customers with mix of local, foreign beans

Abundant varieties spark experimentation as domestic output falls

17 December 2023
One of the main goals of Tenzin Palmo, center, is to boost the role of nuns within Buddhism. (All photos by Saransh Sehgal)
Life

Western-born nun challenges Buddhism's patriarchy

London fishseller's daughter seeks equal rights for monastic women

15 December 2023
Roper River map delegation members, from left, Rosina Farrell, Naomi Wilfred, Linda Williams, Daphne Daniels, Roland Nundhirribala and Clive Nunggarrgalu. (Photo by Geoff Hiscock)
Life

Indigenous Australians bring 'songlines' and cultural map to Canberra

After failed referendum, a 'life-or-death' plea to protect the Northern Territory's Roper River

10 December 2023
Adventure-minded travelers are increasingly exploring remote, rugged Ladakh, a Himalayan region bordering China. (All photos by Malavika Bhattacharya)
Life

Exploring India's ancient Silk Road in Ladakh

Following in the footsteps of trading caravans in the Himalayas

9 December 2023
In "Made in Taiwan," author Clarissa Wei, pictured here in a yellow apron with collaborator Ivy Chen, illuminates facets of the island's cuisine seldom covered in international media. (All photos © 2023 by Yen Wei and Ryan Chen)
Books

Hit cookbook explores the multiethnic roots of Taiwanese cuisine

Clarissa Wei highlights diverse influences to argue that the island's cooking is not 'Chinese' food

1 December 2023
India's craft-chocolate pioneers are winning fans at home and abroad with a focus on quality and sustainability. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by David Belo, Naviluna, Hashim Badani)
Life

High-end Indian chocolate draws international attention

Quality beans and innovative initiatives drive the industry's ascent

25 November 2023
Mai Zibin moved to Jingdezhen in 2015 after quitting his job at an industrial design company in Beijing. (Photo by Noriyuki Doi)
Arts

China 'porcelain capital' regains shine by crafting interest in tradition

Eastern city of Jingdezhen attracts potters, visitors from home and abroad

25 November 2023
Jonny Fowle, global head of spirits at Sotheby's, unveils "The Archer," a bottle of Karuizawa whisky distilled in 1960. Only 41 bottles were made from the cask. (Photo by Rhyannon Bartlett-Imadegawa)
Life

Sotheby's aims for record Japanese whisky sale

1960 Karuizawa bottle expected to fetch over $300,000

16 November 2023
The Viceroy Special steam-powered luxury train: Sri Lanka boasts of a number of scenic journeys by rail. (Courtesy of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau)
Life

Sri Lanka aims to transform tourism

Island nation walks a tightrope in dual drive for income and sustainability

11 November 2023
Lithuania’s Ambassador to Japan Aurelijus Zykas and his wife, Kristina, talk about how "courage" helped Lithuania become the first Baltic state to declare its independence from the Soviet Union. (Photo by Jun Takai)
Life

Beetroot soup diplomacy: Envoy gives Japan taste of Lithuanian culture

Aurelijus Zykas wields fluent Japanese to sell his nation's native food products

5 November 2023
The members of team Future Programmer Girls proudly display the online game they developed during the Girls for Coding program in Ulaanbaatar. (Photo by Johan Nylander)
Life

Girl power is helping shape Mongolia's digital future

Coding boot camp reveals country's economic potential to diversify from mining

2 November 2023
Bicycles loaded with flowers are a popular backdrop for Hanoi tourist photos. (Photo by Yuji Nitta)
Retail

Hanoi's flower vendors see business bloom in rentals for photo ops

Traditional merchants adapt by serving tourists seeking social media posts

27 October 2023
Doug Marsden, owner of Phnom Penh brewpub Chug Lab, cut his brewing teeth as a teenager in Australia. (All photos by Markus Bell)
Life

In search of Cambodia's budding brewmasters

Drinkers in Phnom Penh warm to emerging craft beer makers

21 October 2023
Shinji Tanimura performs at Tokyo's Budokan arena in 1979.
Obituaries

Japanese singer Shinji Tanimura's impassioned voice crossed borders

Songwriter behind 'Subaru' redefined Japanese folk music

19 October 2023
Japanese singer Shinji Tanimura performs in concert in Beijing on Sept. 28, 2018. (Photo by Visual China Group via Getty Images)
Obituaries

Japanese singer Shinji Tanimura dies at 74

He found fame across Asia with 'Subaru' and other hits

16 October 2023
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Travel & Leisure

Japan's 10 best gardens for autumn moon views

From Kyoto to Tokyo, some of the top spots for centuries-old tradition

15 October 2023
About 5.5 million Japanese people regularly visit a sauna, roughly equivalent to Finland's total population. (NIKKEI montage/Source photos by Reuters and AFP/Jiji)
Business trends

Finland's sauna giants target Japan as emerging hot spot

Nordic nation capitalizes on booming market for things that make you sweat

14 October 2023
Japanese and Basque artists, including Ainu singer Emi Toko and the band Oreka TX, join forces during a performance of "Hybrid" in Pamplona, Spain. (Courtesy of Yutaka Endo)
Life

Festivals and food highlight Japan's Basque connection

Jazz, cuisine and art drive improbable international friendship

14 October 2023
Members of Immanuel Orchestra practice at a church in Khlong Toei slum in Bangkok on Oct. 6. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Life

Student orchestra from Thai slum aims for best in first Japan tour

Young musicians find hope in music in spite of poverty-stricken lives

14 October 2023
Though expensive, Kobe leather slippers have seen solid sales, especially at department stores, including Ginza Mitsukoshi in Tokyo's Chuo Ward. They are popular among inbound tourists. (Photo courtesy of Nagata Ryosuke Shoten)
Consumer

Foreign tourists in Japan snap up leather products from Kobe beef cattle

Young entrepreneurs promote Kobe leather under 'using after eating' concept

8 October 2023
Tamika Upton, right, a fullback for the Newcastle Knights in Australia's elite National Rugby League Women's competition, has been described as the best female player in the world. Her pay, however, is below that of even the lowest-paid male Knights NRL player.
Life

Sports pay highlights glaring gender disparity in Australia

Elite female footballers win accolades, but not top salaries

7 October 2023
Heritage buildings built during Portuguese colonial rule of Goa (1510-1961) can be found across the western Indian state. Some have been impeccably restored, while others lie in disrepair. (All photos by Kalpana Sunder)
Life

Goa's colonial mansions open doors on faded past

Indian state's heritage architecture offers a glimpse of Portuguese legacy

5 October 2023
A growing number of Indians are looking for relationships outside marriage via dating apps. It was not until 2018 that the Supreme Court decriminalized adultery.
Life

Extramarital dating site signposts Indian social shift

The dynamics of relationships are changing as women claim more freedom

1 October 2023
Amy Chavez has plied the waters of Japan's Seto Inland Sea for over 20 years, often anchoring in picturesque and quiet coves as she explores an area steeped in both tradition and natural beauty. (All photos by Amy Chavez)
Life

Sailing Japan's inland sea

Yachting in Seto is smooth and scenic, but where are all the fish?

28 September 2023