Life & Arts

Iwami Kagura, a type of traditional theater based on Japanese mythology, was developed in the area of Iwami which surrounds Masuda, a coastal city in Shimane Prefecture. (Courtesy of Shin Totsukawa)  
Arts

In the footsteps of a famous 'Manyoshu' poet

Japan's Masuda city sheds light on a famed collection of ancient poetry

25 August 2022
Smiling with her eyes while wearing a face mask, a friendly obaasan -- a grandmotherly woman -- waters her plants on the curbside of a wide avenue in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward. (Photo by Edward M. Gomez)
Tea Leaves

Tokyo's mini-gardens are more than patches of green

Lovingly tended by avid green thumbs, these tiny oases reflect the city's soul

24 August 2022
The main road in Hong Kong's Mong Kok district is ablaze with neon and other signs in this 1999 photo. The city's shift away from neon lighting has changed the character of the streets -- some say for the worse. (Photo by Keith Macgregor)
Arts

Hong Kong neon fades into history

The switch to cleaner, cheaper LEDs has taken a bit of shine off the city's streets

24 August 2022
Jaipur Rugs' more than 20,000 designs range from traditional Indian patterns to modern abstractions. (Photo by Moyuru Baba)
Business trends

Indian handcrafted carpet-maker opens first store in Milan

Family-run Jaipur Rugs weaves reputation for high quality, design in 70 markets

21 August 2022
Kangmin Justin Kim, left, as Song Liling, and Mark Stone as Rene Gallimard in a performance of the Santa Fe Opera's "M. Butterfly." (Photo by Curtis Brown for the Santa Fe Opera)
Arts

'M. Butterfly' takes wing at Santa Fe Opera

Asian American production highlights fraught legacy of Puccini's masterpiece

19 August 2022
Hanae Mori with her granddaughter Izumi Mori at the finale of a fashion show in Paris in July 2004. (Getty Images)
Obituaries

Hanae Mori saw women's success, Japan's revival in butterfly motif

Trailblazing designer led way for Japanese fashion's international acclaim

18 August 2022
Filipinos take selfies at a cinema screening of "Maid in Malacanang" in Manila. (Photo by Ella Hermonio)
Politics

Marcos movie generates crowds and controversy in the Philippines

Film accused of distorting history becomes a blockbuster hit

17 August 2022
The roar of the crowd: A decibel meter shows a reading of over 107 at a Hindu festival in Mumbai. Readings of over 125 decibels can lead to loss of hearing. 
Tea Leaves

Sound feeds fury in some Asian megacities

If Indian cities were quieter, would we be less angry?

17 August 2022
A poster for "The Boys Club," Yihwen Chen's award-winning short documentary about the sexual harassment, bullying and misogyny she faced while making her first feature documentary for a Malaysian media organization. (Courtesy of Yihwen Chen)
Arts

Machismo plays starring role in Malaysian film world

With 'The Boys Club,' director lifts veil on sexual harassment in local moviemaking

17 August 2022
The 1989 fatwa issued by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini calling for the death of author Salman Rushdie remains intact. (Source photo by AP)
Terrorism

Iranians fear attack on Salman Rushdie will derail nuclear deal

Tehran denies link to U.S.-born suspect, reportedly backer of Revolutionary Guard

15 August 2022
A Wa soldier walks through a rice field where opium was once grown in Myanmar's Shan State. (Photo by Adam Oswell)
Life

From headhunting to weaponized drones: Myanmar's Wa carve own path

Minority emerges as power broker amid post-takeover chaos

12 August 2022
The members of K-pop superband BTS visit the "Today" show in New York in February 2020. 
10 August 2022
Perumal with her daughters, Anushika, 2, and Sivanathan, 9, at their home in rural Sri Lanka. Perumal's husband is ill and has not been able to work for years, making her the family's sole breadwinner.
Life

Sri Lanka crisis threatens food security for millions

Economic woes hit hardest at women and children from poor households

10 August 2022
Fashion designer Issey Miyake is shown in this photo from 2010.
Obituaries

Issey Miyake favored creation over destruction, 1 cloth at a time

Famed Japanese designer and atomic bomb survivor revolutionized fashion

10 August 2022
Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake died of liver cancer at age 84 on Aug. 5. (File photo) 
Obituaries

Japanese fashion star Issey Miyake dies at 84

Kimono-inspired works won the designer renown in haute couture

9 August 2022
Olivia Newton-John performs in Los Angeles, U.S. in 2016. 
Obituaries

Pop music and 'Grease' star Olivia Newton-John dies at 73

British-born Australian singer and actor was a four-time Grammy winner

9 August 2022
The takoyaki guitar is an actual instrument that can be played. (Photo courtesy of Iwatani)
Life

Takoyaki-themed electric guitar grills up Osaka's favorite treat

Instrument pays homage to Japan's octopus ball capital

9 August 2022
A cycling event in Iloilo City in late July: Urban renewal projects have made the Philippine city more friendly to pedestrians and cyclists. (Photo by Arnold Almacen)
Life

Philippine city charts a different path

Iloilo, an opposition stronghold, pioneers a new approach to urban life

5 August 2022
Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes signs shirts for fans at a preseason match in Bangkok. Replica shirts are big business for the world's most famous soccer clubs.
Sports

Soccer shirts in short supply as deliveries from Asia delayed

Fans left frustrated as Premier League season kicks off

4 August 2022
Shigeaki Wada, one of the most influential Japanese retail bosses, was involved with department store brand Seibu for five decades.
Obituaries

Shigeaki Wada, Japan's master of department store turnarounds, dead at 88

Retail boss made Sogo and Seibu profitable and led way for sector's consolidation

4 August 2022
A beach in Ngwesaung, in the Ayeyarwady region of southern Myanmar, in 2017. With the pandemic easing, the military regime wants to restart tourism. (Getty Images)
Tea Leaves

Sun, sea and civil war: holidaying in Myanmar

Tourists to strife-torn country must first make peace with risks and ethics

3 August 2022
Perusing the shelves at a BookXcess store in Kuala Lumpur. (Photo by Paulius Staniunas)
Life

Malaysia's bookshop boom: a bricks-and-mortar revival

Unconventional business models, pandemic-changed reading habits fuel upsurge

3 August 2022
Fidel Ramos flexes his muscles after surgery in 1996. Ramos prided himself on his healthy lifestyle.
Obituaries

Fidel Ramos, a former Philippine general who denounced despots

Former president eschewed dynastic politics, consolidated democracy

1 August 2022
Philippine former President Fidel Ramos, who ruled the country between 1992 and 1998, died on Sunday aged 94, online news site Rappler reported.
Obituaries

Philippine ex-President Fidel Ramos dies at 94

Former military officer helped topple dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

1 August 2022
Opened in 1939, the Cathay Cineplex was the only air-conditioned movie theater in Singapore before its independence. (Photo by Mayuko Tani)
Media & Entertainment

Realignment of cinema industry accelerates in Singapore

Small operator starts experiments at iconic theater following its closure

31 July 2022