Life & Arts

Kyoto's Kiyomizu-dera, a famous Buddhist temple and sightseeing spot. (Photo by Toshiki Sasazu)
Travel & Leisure

Japan stymied as high flight, hotel costs block Taiwan tourists

With the popular destination out of reach, many travelers look to Europe

19 November 2022
Suzume, a 17-year-old high school girl, meets a young man named Sota, looking for "Doors of Disaster" across Japan to shut and lock them.
Arts

Makoto Shinkai's new film 'Suzume' mourns Japan's deserted towns

'Your Name' anime director tries to find somewhere for country to 'go next'

19 November 2022
Captive Irrawaddy dolphins leap out of the water in Thailand. (Courtesy of Roland Seitre-WWF)
Life

Asia's freshwater dolphins swim into rough waters

Experts warn of potential extinction of region's last surviving freshwater marine mammals

18 November 2022
An outdoor office on the Indonesian island of Nusa Lembongan. The unprecedented dearth of tourism caused by pandemic shutdowns has prompted many governments in Southeast Asia to reevaluate digital nomads as a source of long-term income, rather than a nuisance. (Getty Images) 
Tea Leaves

Digital nomads push Southeast Asia's boundaries

New visa rules help remote workers, but need careful consideration

16 November 2022
Shinro Ohtake's current show at The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (known as MOMAT) brings together about 500 of the artist's works, spanning nearly half a century. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Arts

Japanese contemporary artist's triumphant return to Tokyo

Shinro Ohtake's accumulations of found marks and objects are self-portraits

16 November 2022
A couple kiss at the annual Taiwan Pride parade in Taipei on Oct. 29. This year's march marked the 20th edition and the first to be held in person in three years due to the pandemic.
Life

For many, being Taiwanese means being pro-LGBTQ+

Local attitude contrasts with Beijing's homophobia

14 November 2022
Banksy posted a photo of the mural -- a girl gymnast performing a handstand on a small pile of concrete rubble -- on Instagram Friday. 
Ukraine war

Banksy showcases new mural in war-scarred Ukrainian town

Artwork seen on building destroyed by shelling in Borodyanka features gymnast

13 November 2022
Chinese artist Sun Xun in the Shanghai hotel room that he transformed into a studio during what he called his "forced art residency." (Courtesy of Sun Xun)
Arts

Pandemic lockdowns inspire Chinese artists

Shanghai's harsh COVID-19 restrictions recorded for posterity

12 November 2022
A view of "Get to the Point," part of an installation by art collective AWKNDAFFR at Singapore Biennale 2022, also known as Natasha. (Singapore Biennale 2022)
Arts

Thailand and Singapore lead comeback for Asia's art fests

Post-pandemic biennales challenge Hong Kong's regional dominance

11 November 2022
An “Asiatic Arcadia”: The city of Kaminoyama, in Yamagata prefecture, as seen from a nearby mountainside in July 2020. (Photo by Alice French)
Tea Leaves

Yamagata's lesson in post-pandemic tourism

Neglected Japanese prefecture rebrands to reach out to the world

9 November 2022
A still from Malaysian time-travel revenge thriller "Stone Turtle" (2022) by Kuala Lumpur-based director Woo Ming Jin. (Courtesy of Edmund Yeo) 
Arts

'New Wave' filmmakers put spotlight on Malaysian cinema

Feature film 'Stone Turtle' bags coveted award and critical interest at film festivals

9 November 2022
Facade of Iwakura House: “This is my modern interpretation of an old machiya (town house),” says architect Hiroshi Nakamura. (All photos by Kohei Take)
Life

Elegant Kyoto home celebrates city's coveted craft traditions

Iwakura House is a modern interpretation of a 'machiya' town house

8 November 2022
In a scene from “The Football Aficionado,” Zahra Khoshnavaz takes a selfie outside Tehran’s Azadi Stadium. The arena’s name means “freedom.” (Courtesy of Busan International Film Festival)
Arts

Tale of defiant Iranian female soccer fan echoes Tehran protests

'The Football Aficionado' wins best Asian documentary at Busan film festival

7 November 2022
Tickets to "Picasso and His Time" at the National Museum of Western Art cost about $14, more than similar exhibitions before the pandemic. (Photo by Naoko Kubota)
Arts

Seeing Picasso in Tokyo? Prepare to pay more

Higher costs and visitor limits test sustainability of loans from abroad

7 November 2022
Vendors in the Titanic Bazaar's women's handicraft market say sales have fallen steeply since the Taliban took over. (Photo by Kanika Gupta)
Life

Women's craft market struggles to find place in the new Afghanistan

Taliban restrictions push once-thriving shops toward the brink of collapse

5 November 2022
The Tendu Leaf resort in Madhya Pradesh, central India, was built by Eugene Pandala using recycled materials, mud and stone. (Courtesy of Eugene Pandala)
Life

Mud makes a comeback in Indian homes

Architects turn to green designs to fight climate change and pollution

4 November 2022
A vendor sells food for iftar -- the meal that breaks the fast in the evening -- on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan at a traditional food market in Jakarta. 
Tea Leaves

Why expatriates should stop moaning

Reflections on the not-so-subtle art of living in a foreign country

2 November 2022
Colombo-based Sinhalese hard rock group Skitzo SL often performed at protest gatherings in the lead-up to the Rajapaksa clan's ouster. (Courtesy of Skitzo SL)
Arts

How music rocked Sri Lanka's ruling class

After years underground, independent bands are wielding more political influence

2 November 2022
Tadataka Unno's latest album is titled "Get My Mojo Back." (Photo by Keiichiro Sato) 
Life

Japanese jazz pianist plays on after Asian hate crime attack

Tadataka Unno fights hatred and violence with music and harmony

31 October 2022
Steve Jobs, who helped U.S. computer maker Apple develop into a multinational tech giant, visited Kyoto repeatedly during his life, marveling at its Zen-inspired aesthetics.
Travel & Leisure

Recalling Steve Jobs' love affair with Kyoto

Tech tycoon saw Zen simplicity in ancient capital's art, gardens, sweets

30 October 2022
The clock tower of Big Ben basks in the glow of a London morning.
Arts

Big Ben refurbishment project echoes Britain's spirit and history

'Nation's heartbeat' given big, tradition-bound face-lift

29 October 2022
A man and a woman talk at a matchmaking event organized by Ahmedabad-based organization Vina Mulya Amulya Sewa. The service curates these gatherings across India for people between the ages of 50 and 75. (Photo by Ram Kumar)
Life

India sees rise of 'silver divorces'

Some welcome trend to tackle old-age loneliness, others question impact on conservative society

28 October 2022
A man is dressed for the occasion at a marijuana legalization expo in Buriram, Thailand, on June 10. (Getty Images)
Tea Leaves

In Thailand, hold the drinks and pass the cannabis

Thais embrace new 'ganja' craze but adhere to draconian alcohol restrictions

26 October 2022
Women writers on Japan have been lauded for their individual work, but rarely recognized for their collective influence. (Nikkei montage/Source photos from Amazon)
Arts

Foreign women writers give alternative view of Japan

Works on Japanese culture, history, reflect distinct sensibility through the ages

26 October 2022
Ash Carter, while serving as U.S. defense secretary, attends a news conference during 2016 in London.
Obituaries

Former U.S. defense secretary Ash Carter dies at 68

Obama official helped launch military strategy that pushed back Islamic State

25 October 2022