Life & Arts

Jockey Vincent Ho rides Golden Sixty to victory in the BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile at Hong Kong's Sha Tin Racecourse on November 21.
Sports

Golden Sixty, Hong Kong's COVID wonder horse, gallops for glory

Unbeaten thoroughbred will attempt to equal record 17-race winning streak

22 January 2022
In "The Perils of Interpreting," China scholar Henrietta Harrison has written an exhaustive academic account that nonetheless reads like a swashbuckling adventure novel. (Source photos courtesy of Princeton University Press.) 
Books

Books: China and the West lost in translation

Interpreters play unsung role in keeping communications open

21 January 2022
Thais invariably stood up in cinemas for the king's anthem during the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016, but times have changed.
Tea Leaves

The politics of Thai cinemas

To stand or not to stand -- an evening at the movies becomes an 'inflection point' in generational zeitgeist

19 January 2022
Claudio Sopranzetti's book "The King of Bangkok" is underpinned by more than a decade of anthropological research in Thailand. (Courtesy of University of Toronto Press)
Books

Books: King of Bangkok highlights rich lives of ordinary people

Unique images and probing interviews lay out visions of a turbulent Thailand

19 January 2022
Former Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu with his wife Sachiyo at his home in Tokyo in August 1989.
Obituaries

Japan former Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu dies at 91

Leader during Gulf War focused on political reform at home

14 January 2022
A ticket to the Jim Thompson House Museum now offers entry to two venues: the genteel former home of the late silk tycoon and the new Jim Thompson Art Center, an airy raw concrete building hosting exhibitions of contemporary art and related events. (Source photos by John Clewley)
Arts

Updating Jim Thompson's legacy for the 21st century

Famed museum's new arts center highlights contemporary Thai and international art

14 January 2022
Ryusuke Hamaguchi's "Drive My Car" won the Golden Globe for best non-English-language film. (Photo courtesy of Drive My Car Production Committee)
Arts

Japan's 'Drive My Car' stokes 'Parasite'-esque Oscar buzz

Adaptation of Haruki Murakami story wins top critic awards and Golden Globe

13 January 2022
Activists of Hindu Sena or "Hindu Army" burn an effigy of Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav as they demand a Central Bureau of Investigation enquiry to certify their conviction that Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob of Hindus for allegedly storing beef in his house, was indeed storing beef for consumption on Oct. 9 in 2015 in New Delhi.
Tea Leaves

India highlights dark side of vegetarianism

Cow protection campaign by vigilante ideologues threatens safety of beef eaters

12 January 2022
Ai Weiwei's wonderfully comprehensive memoir -- written in compelling, straightforward prose -- is as searing as any of his celebrated art. The photo on the right shows the artist in New York City's Lower East Side in 1985. (Source photos courtesy of Ai Weiwei Studio)
Books

Books: Ai Weiwei's memoir is a mesmerizing portrait of an iconoclast

In '1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows,' exiled Chinese artist brings his story full circle

12 January 2022
BTS appears in Los Angeles in their first in-person performance in two years.
Media & Entertainment

BTS parent amplifies K-pop success with tech platform

Music, social media and international talent recruitment work in harmony

9 January 2022
Strawberry Prince boasts millions of followers on TikTok, Twitter, Line and Instagram.
Media & Entertainment

Virtual boy band Strawberry Prince steps in metaverse spotlight

Real Japanese singers with avatars point to future of entertainment

8 January 2022
NCT's Yuta performs during a live concert.
Interview

NCT's Japanese member, Yuta, finds global rhythm with K-pop

As music transcends cultures, genres becoming irrelevant, pop star says

7 January 2022
Prints from Ukiyo-e Project’s series featuring portraits of rock stars, including the members of the band Kiss, left, and David Bowie. (Courtesy of Ukiyo-e Project)
Arts

Japan's Ukiyo-e Project revitalizes classic art form

Innovative techniques and respect for tradition give contemporary look to woodblock prints

7 January 2022
Wang Xingwei's "New Beijing" at M+. The museum's collection includes works related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. (Photo by Takeshi Kihara)
Arts

Hong Kong art hub taps growing market despite shrinking freedom

New museum M+ passes 'test' under national security law, top donor says

6 January 2022
The Shochika Theatre in Osaka where Louis Armstrong performed during his Japanese tour in 1954.
Tea Leaves

Japan's jazz coffee bars transcend global barriers

For devoted followers, 'kissa' celebrate coffee, cool music and delights of cultural appropriation

5 January 2022
Prices of saffron produced in Taketa, Japan, have risen from about 100 yen (88 cents) per gram in the mid-1990s to about 1,000 yen per gram now. (From the Taketa no Tabekata Facebook page)
Life

Saffron growers see appetizing future for Japan's 'red gold'

Rising interest in distinctive Japanese production methods is fueling greater demand

5 January 2022
The globalization of K-pop is no longer aimed at solely promoting South Korean artists.
Media & Entertainment

NCT's Yuta reveals K-pop's plan to shine beyond borders

Japan's music industry tries to catch up in developing global talent

4 January 2022
Growing up in Australia, Chan became fascinated by "odd sounds and textures," as well as the "deeper and richer sonic palette" offered by electronic music, as well as contemporary music-making and recording techniques.
Arts

Rainbow Chan's sounds of then

Sydney-based artist's new album "Stanley" pays homage to Hong Kong

3 January 2022
Turkish chef Musa Dagdeviren joins local women in Senkoy, a town in Hatay province in Turkey's southeast, who bake bread similar to pita in a tandoor. (Photo by Engin Tokur)
Life

Saving Turkey's lost cultures, forgotten tastes and abandoned people

Culinary anthropologist Musa Dagdeviren on giving hope to the vulnerable

1 January 2022
Takeshi Suzuki draws a beer from his professional-grade tap at his home in Edogawa Ward, Tokyo.
Consumer

Can't get to your favorite bar or restaurant? Bring it home to you

Pandemic has Japanese consumers buying tools to cook, clean and build like pros

31 December 2021
The Front Office at Swissotel The Stamford Singapore. Where's the receptionist? That's you.
Life

COVID hastens the end of hotel service extras

From check-in to laundry, guests will have to become more self-sufficient

31 December 2021
The Bisei Astronomical Observatory is a local attraction. (Photo courtesy of Ibara City)
Travel & Leisure

Japanese town looks to starry skies for brighter economy

Bisei hopes 'dark-sky preserve' designation attracts more tourists

29 December 2021
A waiter pours a wine from China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region into a glass for a judge at a tasting event in Beijing. The number of independently owned wineries in China has more than doubled since 2015, according to the China Alcoholic Drinks Association.
Life

China's drinkers develop taste for premium local wines

Top producers look set for big increase in domestic and overseas sales

29 December 2021
Livestreaming celebrity Huang Wei, known online as Weiya, was ordered to pay 1.34 billion yuan ($210 million) in back taxes, late fees and fines.
Caixin

Chinese livestreamers' tax evasion reflects need for reform

Loopholes, ambiguous wording in existing law encourage rampant cheating

28 December 2021
Hayato Sumino recently played a digital piano for a livestreaming event in Tokyo's Shibuya district.
Media & Entertainment

Japanese YouTuber pianist Cateen pushes limits of classical music

Hayato Sumino's IT background breathes fresh air into conservative genre

26 December 2021