Life & Arts

Though he never received formal training in the art of cinema, Paris-raised filmmaker Davy Chou has served as a guiding light for a new generation of Cambodian filmmakers. (Photo by Thibault Perrier)
Arts

Art-house filmmaker leads Cambodian movie renaissance

Success of 'White Building' highlights new generation of cinephiles

25 February 2022
Up close and virtual: Bangkok Naughty Boo is among a new generation of influencers making an impact in Thailand. (Courtesy of BDA World Service)
Tea Leaves

In Thailand, virtual celebrities wield real influence

Amplified through hip and lavish lifestyles, avatars outshine flesh-and-blood social media stars

23 February 2022
A man sits at the entrance of his shop in Kabul on Feb. 8.
Life

Food aplenty in Kabul's shops, but few buyers

Taliban make women cover up, while their soldiers chase anti-lice creams

23 February 2022
Leading Vietnam's coffee renaissance has been Future Coffee Farm founder Toi Nguyen, whose plantation around 180 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City has become an inspiration to new coffee farmers with grand ambitions of affecting coffee perceptions around the world. (Photo by Mervin Lee)
Life

Tasting the future of coffee in Vietnam

Now a key producer, the country's global stature is growing rapidly

19 February 2022
Dilapidated but architecturally interesting row houses in the Japanese port city of Nakamachi, Mie Prefecture. (Photo by Stephen Mansfield)
Life

A small Japanese city draws on creativity in fighting decline

Citizens band together to revive a historic urban center

18 February 2022
Sunrise in Penang as seen from The Habitat Penang Hill, with the twinkling lights of the town in the distance. (Courtesy of J&A Productions)
Tea Leaves

Pandemic unlocks a city dweller's love of nature

Malaysian biodiversity project offers conservation lesson for Asia

16 February 2022
Designed by Tadao Ando, The Shinmonzen hotel is a gentle addition to Kyoto’s Gion area. 
Life

Kyoto's Shinmonzen hotel: 'a bit exclusive, a bit secret'

Charms of traditional Japanese 'ryokan' are distilled and elevated with bespoke design

16 February 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a unique but outdated Valentine's Day tradition in Japan to slowly fade away. (Photo by Yuki Nakao) 
Consumer

COVID deals blow to Japan's unique Valentine tradition

Women less likely to hand out 'obligation chocolates' to male coworkers on Feb. 14

14 February 2022
Local snowboard instructor Farhad Naik, 30, who has spent months trapped at home after three years of back-to-back lockdowns, was one of the first to pick up his snowboard and head to Gulmarg, famous for its natural slopes, snow quality and altitude. (Photo by Safina Nabi)
Life

Snowboarders, skiers -- and smiles -- return to Kashmir

Three years of back-to-back lockdowns are finally over

13 February 2022
Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Drive My Car” was nominated in four categories, including best picture, for this year’s Academy Awards.
Media & Entertainment

Can Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi follow renowned Kurosawa?

'Drive My Car' is first Japanese film ever to be nominated for best picture

11 February 2022
An outdoor bath at an inn in Shiobara Onsen, Tochigi Prefecture. A sense of the divine power believed to reside in natural springs can be experienced at countless spas across the country. (Photo by Stephen Mansfield)
Tea Leaves

Japan sees spiritual experience in the humble bath

Bathing is much more than a good long soak

9 February 2022
"Red Sands," Caroline Eden's travelogue-cum-cookbook focused on Central Asia, is elevated by her passion for her subject, a strong reportorial eye and arresting photography. (Nikkei montage; source photos courtesy of Quadrille Publishing) 
Arts

Books: Central Asian travelogue courts foodies and adventurers

Despite its title, 'Red Sands' is less about deserts than desserts

9 February 2022
A sign in a Kabul cafe explains the new rule: compulsory beards for men and hijabs for women -- but not everybody complies. (Sara Perria) 
Life

Professional women of Kabul rail against Taliban-imposed restrictions

Burqas remain scarce, for now, but female workers are largely stuck at home

4 February 2022
Pattaya was the birthplace of mass tourism to Thailand, but it has fallen out favor in recent years. (All photos by George Styllis)
Tea Leaves

How the pandemic transformed a Thai beach resort

Lockdowns and art help Pattaya shed its 'sexy' image

2 February 2022
A Chinland Defense Force fighter poses for a photograph at an undisclosed location near the India-Myanmar border on Nov. 23, 2021. 
Life

Myanmar's Chin battle military with muskets

Ethnic minority has played key role in country's history of conflicts

2 February 2022
Jetstream is a global brand, with about 100 million sold worldwide each year. (Photo courtesy of Mitsubishi Pencil)
Consumer

Japanese pens become mightier in fight against plastic waste

Jetstream series uses thinner-walled refills, eyes shift to paper

30 January 2022
Stream article image
Life

Aging gracefully: Japanese men who refuse to die young

How 'ikigai' and the 'Shiga rhythm' are boosting lifespans

29 January 2022
Shinsuke Kato, left, and Ryusei Ota, who star in director Yusuke Okuda's new film "Somebody's Flowers," a deep dive into feelings of grief, anger, and fear set against a normally uneventful Japanese suburban landscape.
Arts

'Somebody's Flowers' explores Japan's growing dementia struggle

Yusuke Okuda's new film asks viewers to search for hope among tragedy

28 January 2022
Animation by Arif Rafhan is woven into the Malaysian documentary "Perempuan Radikal." The film focuses on Wardah, a woman who was married to a Malaysian man who turned out to be involved with the militant Islamic State group in the Middle East. (Courtesy of Fat Bidin Media)
Life

Malaysian filmmakers highlight 'collateral damage' in fight against extremism

Documentaries seek to undermine appeal of militant Islamist groups

28 January 2022
The author at Kartarpur Sahib, a gurdwara (Sikh place of worship) in the Pakistani state of Punjab on the site where the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, lived for 18 years until his death in 1539. (All photos by Sonia Sarkar)
Tea Leaves

Making friends with the 'enemy'

An Indian writer takes a brief but meaningful day trip to Pakistan

26 January 2022
At 79 years old, Meenakshi Amma, right, remains a feisty proponent and practitioner of Kalaripayattu, an ancient Indian martial art. She is pictured here at her training center in the southern Indian state of Kerala. (Photo by Adithya Govind)
Life

Sword-wielding Indian granny keeps ancient martial art alive

'Kalari' fighting skills attract a new generation over social media

26 January 2022
Bob Dylan, 80, is among a group of aging artists who have sold rights to investors seeking to capitalize on streaming opportunities. Dylan is pictured here in 2004.
Media & Entertainment

Sony Music says it acquires Bob Dylan's catalog of recorded songs

'Blowin' in the Wind' and 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' included in deal

25 January 2022
Before Sunday's race, Golden Sixty, second from right, already had 19 wins from 20 starts, the most of any horse in 51 years of professional Hong Kong racing history.
Sports

Hong Kong superstar Golden Sixty shocks fans with upset loss

Second-place finish dashed hopes thoroughbred would match record winning streak

24 January 2022
Nobel Peace Prize nominee Nathan Law's new book "Freedom: How We Lost It and How We Fight Back," provides a synopsis of Hong Kong's fight for democracy.
Life

Books: Hong Kong's cautionary tale for freedom

Activist Nathan Law details firsthand accounts of the city's democracy movement

23 January 2022
Seven Three sells a line of "goldfish pearls" that has resonated with fans of the irregular shape.
Consumer

Japan pearl prices surge as men too don the precious beads

Gender-neutral attitudes and oyster die-off tighten market

22 January 2022