Life & Arts

Questions over the future of Lisa, above, a Thai member of South Korean K-Pop group Blackpink, and other members are weighing on YG Entertainment's shares.
Media & Entertainment

South Korea's YG Entertainment hit by Blackpink uncertainty

Agency's shares sink on talk of departure by Thai member Lisa, others

22 September 2023
Visitors pack the street near Kiyomizu-dera Temple, one of Kyoto's biggest tourist draws. 
Life

Japan's tourism explosion: Be careful what you wish for

International visitors to towns like Morioka threaten the charm that lures them

21 September 2023
Kenichi Suematsu, former president of Japan's Sakura Bank, talks with Nikkei in April 1991.
Obituaries

Japan banker Kenichi Suematsu dies at 97

Former president of today's SMBC revived 'Mitsui' name

20 September 2023
Women wear yukata, or summer kimonos, at a shrine in Tokyo. The traditional garment is a refreshing example of slow fashion in today's age of hyper-consumerism.
Tea Leaves

Japan's 'yukata' boom is more than a fashion statement

Tourism-driven revival of traditional costume rekindles old values

20 September 2023
Architect Renzo Piano was born in Genoa, Italy, and although he now travels to building sites around the world, he spends one week of each month there. (Photo by Masahiko Takeda)
Life

Renzo Piano reflects social change through architecture

Famed Italian architect brings spirit of Genoa to buildings around the world

17 September 2023
Hikers pass through a tea plantation in Sri Lanka. Soon to be officially launched, the Pekoe Trail spans 300 kilometers across the island's Central Highlands, passing river valleys, tea gardens, forested hills, sacred sites and rural villages. (All photos courtesy of Tangerine Tours)
Life

Hiking Sri Lanka's tea trail

New path through verdant Pekoe hills shows the island is not just about beaches

16 September 2023
The Karen Environmental and Social Action Network, or KESAN, works with local communities to protect wildlife and biodiversity in an area of eastern Myanmar. However, its task has been overshadowed by the conflict engulfing parts of the country. (All photos courtesy of KESAN)
Life

Myanmar's forests fall victim to conflict

Environmental groups curb activity even as illegal logging increases

14 September 2023
The forest is being cleared to make way for Indonesia's planned new capital of Nusantara on the island of Borneo.
Tea Leaves

Indonesia's lessons in capital relocation

Nusantara risks becoming a pint-sized version of Jakarta

13 September 2023
Ryusuke Hamaguchi poses for photographers upon arrival for the premiere of "Evil Does Not Exist" at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 4.
Arts

'Evil Does Not Exist' director Hamaguchi confronts modern anxiety

After 'Drive My Car,' Japan filmmaker completes festival trifecta in Venice

12 September 2023
Taiwanese Minister of Culture Shih Che says Taiwan must press ahead on social issues after legalizing gay marriage. (Taiwan's Ministry of Culture)
Taiwan tensions

Taiwan cultural rise on world stage threatened by China: minister

Beijing's arrest of publisher Fucha sparks backlash, tests 'cultural resilience'

11 September 2023
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Arts

Photographer James Nachtwey's stunning retrospective comes to Asia

'Memoria' depicts lifetime of bearing witness to wars, disasters and the human condition

10 September 2023
Yurts have been used for over 2,000 years in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian communities as practical, simple and portable homes. They are now getting a new lease of life as a draw for tourists.
Life

Yurt alert: Traditional tents make a comeback in Kazakhstan

Portable dwellings thrive as tourist attractions and emergency housing

9 September 2023
Nga Surachai Chanthimathon, founder of legendary Thai protest rock band Caravan, performs during his 75th birthday concert at the Thailand Cultural Centre on May 7. (Photo by Yumi Kajiwara)
Arts

Thai protest rocker 'Nga Caravan' celebrated at last

His band provided soundtrack for 1970s students fighting military government

7 September 2023
A view of Tai O village at night: Governments have come and gone over the centuries, but the quiet Hong Kong village has stuck to its fishing roots throughout it all. 
Tea Leaves

Hong Kong's Tai O village offers political lessons

Over the centuries, locals have dealt with government changes

6 September 2023
Former Shiseido Chairman Yoshiharu Fukuhara received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star -- one of the highest honors the Japanese government bestows on private individuals -- in 2004.
Obituaries

Shiseido Honorary Chairman Yoshiharu Fukuhara dies at 92

Grandson of founder laid groundwork for growth into world-class cosmetics company

6 September 2023
Fisher Yu Jing-ping is one of the most successful and influential cinematographers working in Asian cinema. (Courtesy of Fisher Yu Jing-ping)
Arts

Woman cinematographers are few but powerful in Hong Kong

Calls grow for more females in male-dominated sector of regional film industry

3 September 2023
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Books

Books: Photographer captures kaleidoscopic Japan

Hans Sautter and a range of essayists focus on rarely seen aspects of society

2 September 2023
Tan Twan Eng's third novel is set a century ago in the Malaysian author's native Penang Island when it was under British colonial rule. The work was recently longlisted for the prestigious 2023 Booker Prize. (Nikkei montage/Source photos courtesy of Canongate Books, Tommi Chu)
Books

Books: Penang in the steps of William Somerset Maugham

Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng comes home to present his latest novel

31 August 2023
People line up outside Rengatei, a popular restaurant in Tokyo's Ginza district, on March 16. Japan's food service industry has come roaring back after a punishing few years. 
Tea Leaves

No reservations in Japan's restaurant scene

Booking seats has become a daunting challenge in top dining destinations

30 August 2023
Staff dressed in black and white livery serve customers at Britannia in Mumbai. The Irani cafe continues to draw diners despite its state of graceful dilapidation. (Photo by Anil Senior)
Life

Mumbai's last remaining 'Irani' cafes recall lost culture of Bombay

Iconic Britannia celebrates centenary as new saloons pay homage to fading legacy

27 August 2023
Cambodia's cuisine has similarities to that of neighbors Vietnam and Thailand but also boasts a long, unique history. (Photo by Jun Takai)
Interview

Hidden gem: Cambodian cuisine counts blessings of the Mekong

Envoy to Japan discusses traditions around fish paste, watermelon rice and more

27 August 2023
Akiko Sasaki at work: A former TV anchor and roving reporter, she is now one of Japan's foremost benshi narrators for silent films. (Courtesy of Akiko Sasaki)
26 August 2023
The 24 Chinese characters that Yique and his classmates painted on a wall along Brick Lane sparked online abuse of the artist and drew wide media coverage. (Courtesy of Yiqueart)
Arts

Chinese slogans on London wall hold mirror to society: artist

Zhejiang-born Yique tries to find his place in UK after Brick Lane work

25 August 2023
Works by Indonesian artist Ari Bayuaji using upcycled trash collected from the ocean are displayed at the Kennedy Center in Washington. (Courtesy of Ari Bayuaji)
Arts

Indonesian artist transforms marine trash into art

Ari Bayuaji's invented fabric made from fishing junk makes a global connection

24 August 2023
Doomed to demolition: The Chao Mae Thap Thim Chinese shrine in Bangkok’s gentrified Sam Yan neighborhood. (Photo by Max Crosbie-Jones)
Tea Leaves

How a Bangkok shrine became a gentrification battlefront

Students make a principled stand against university's property arm

23 August 2023