Life & Arts: News & Insights

The Eifman Ballet staged an adaptation of "Anna Karenina" set to music by Tchaikovsky in Beijing in 2023. (Photo by Shunsuke Tabeta)

Arts

Russian performers find fans in China amid tensions with West

Famed orchestras and ballets flock to Beijing as countries seek closer ties

17 March 2024

Osamu Tezuka in 1985 and the weekly magazine that ran the latest installment of "Black Jack." Tezuka's prediction that manga would become a global language seems to be coming true. (Source photos by Kyodo and Chihiro Ishikawa)

Arts

AI helps legacy live on for 'god of manga' Osamu Tezuka

New story in artist's 'Black Jack' series released three decades after his death

17 March 2024

Japanese anime like "The Boy and the Heron," Gkids' David Jesteadt says, "have a strong sense of story and perspective" that enables audiences to feel the creators' intentions through sophisticated characters. ⓒ2023 Studio Ghibli

Media & Entertainment

Oscar winner 'The Boy and the Heron' offers what Hollywood can't

President of U.S. distributor says film's 'dream logic' keeps audiences coming back

17 March 2024

A production of "Tin Soldier" for children. (Photo by Yuriy Korotetskiy)

Arts

Russian war refugees boost Kazakhstan's theater scene

New plays bring diversity and cater to all ages in different languages

16 March 2024

Akio Sakurai, aka Mr. Jimmy, unleashes his inner Jimmy Page during a performance. Sakurai has been reproducing the look and sound of his favorite artist for more than three decades. (Courtesy of Stefan Nilsson)

Arts

Japan's 'Mr Jimmy' climbs stairway to perfection

Film highlights how a former kimono salesman takes copycat routines to new heights

15 March 2024

"Haze Days" by Yoshitomo Nara is displayed during a preview at Sotheby's in New York City on May 8, 2023.

Arts

China reclaims No. 2 spot in global art market, report says

Strong rebound was driven by pent-up demand after Beijing axed COVID curbs

13 March 2024

The beaches of the Iranian resort island of Kish have been largely empty despite the arrival of peak tourism season. (Photo by Shuntaro Fukutomi)

Tea Leaves

How sanctions sank Iran's Persian Gulf tourism dream

Failed Kish Island resort comes a dreary second to neighboring Dubai

13 March 2024

Kiyoko Shibuya, left, and Takashi Yamazaki, winners of the Academy Award for best visual effects for "Godzilla Minus One."

Media & Entertainment

Japan's Oscar wins belie challenges faced by entertainment industries

Continued success hinges on support for country's manga, anime and film creators

12 March 2024

Hayao Miyazaki says he can only make movies when he is sitting at his desk, which is only partially true as his films are filled with the kind of details that can only come from sharp observations of the world around us. (Source photo by Nozomu Ogawa and 2023 Studio Ghibli)

Arts

Hayao Miyazaki stubbornly hand draws his way to a third Oscar

Animator also relies on his sharp observations and outlandish imagination

11 March 2024

Life

Remote boat: Traveling the rivers of northern Laos

Life in landlocked country is inextricably linked to its waterways

10 March 2024

Yamaoka Tesshu (1836–1888), "Talismanic Dragon," 19th century, hanging scroll, ink on paper. One of the works on display at "None Whatsoever," the new exhibition of Japanese art at the New York-based Japan Society. (Courtesy of the Gitter-Yelen Collection: Kurt A. Gitter, M.D. and Alice Yelen Gitter)

Arts

Art of Zen goes to New York

Buddhist ink paintings and calligraphies convey the irreverent and the profound with wry humor

9 March 2024

"Dragon Ball" is one of the most popular works of shonen manga. (Photo by Yutaka Miyaguchi)

Obituaries

'Dragon Ball' creator Akira Toriyama opened new chapter for manga

Former graphic designer made lasting mark with unique style

9 March 2024

Akira Toriyama in 1982 and Son Goku, a hero from the "Dragon Ball" series. Originally published as a comic, "Dragon Ball" became a hit animation globally. (Source photos by Jiji and Bird Studio/Shueisha/Kyodo)

Obituaries

Akira Toriyama, creator of 'Dragon Ball,' dies at 68

Renowned Japanese comic artist died of acute subdural hematoma

8 March 2024

A Tokyo bookstore employee holds translated South Korean novels, which are drawing more readers in Japan. (Photo by Kana Watanabe)

Arts

South Korean tales of inequality strike chord with Japan readers

Boom started with 'Kim Ji-young, Born 1982,' about a woman facing sexism

8 March 2024

Arts

Japanese digital art exhibition explores AI risks in Shenzhen

Rhizomatiks' first solo China show pushes boundaries between real and virtual

8 March 2024

A scene from "To Kill A Tiger": Directed by Indian-born Canadian Nisha Pahuja, the documentary has won over 25 awards at international film festivals. (All photos by Mrinal Desai)

Arts

Oscar-nominated documentary focuses on sexual abuse in India

'To Kill A Tiger' chronicles father's quest to achieve justice for his teenage daughter

7 March 2024

Bars in Yangon are still busy, but often close early as the downtown streets grow quiet at night. (All photos by Carlo Wright)

Tea Leaves

What running has taught me about life in Yangon under military rule

Touring the city on foot past barricades reveals soldiers, beggars and sex workers

6 March 2024

Kanta, one of the characters in "My Neighour Totoro," is played by actor Ka Long Kelvin Chan. Kanta feeds his chickens, which are controlled by puppeteers who are integral to the production. (Courtesy of RSC and Nippon TV)

Arts

Ghibli's 'Totoro' steals hearts, minds and accolades on London stage

After 2 successful runs, producers say future 'very positive' for iconic show

5 March 2024

Ryusuke Hamaguchi in Macao in January: The director, whose characters "have their own mysteries ... have secrets like real people," keeps his own story to himself. (Courtesy of Festival of Young Cinema (Asia-Europe))

Arts

Oscar-winning director Ryusuke Hamaguchi and the art of storytelling

Japanese filmmaker shares how his life shaped films like 'Evil Does Not Exist'

3 March 2024

Leather watch straps by Delugs come in a rainbow of colors. (Photo by Mayuko Tani)

Consumer

Singapore watch strap brand aims for global reach

Delugs' handcrafted leather bands cater to any style

3 March 2024

A young woman enjoys her ramen fix on a Sunday afternoon. (Photo by Kaori Shoji)

Life

Japan sees rise of 'ramen girls'

Women move in on the male-dominated world of noodle soup

2 March 2024

Thai filmmaker Nontawat Numbenchapol: After making his name with a series of observational documentaries, he has branched out into narrative features with dark social realist film “Doi Boy.” (All photos courtesy of Nontawat Numbenchapol)

Arts

Thai filmmaker switches to fiction to reveal migrant realities

Nontawat Numbenchapol's debut feature 'Doi Boy' explores illegal border crossings

1 March 2024

Yukio Sakamoto worked his way through the ranks of Texas Instruments Japan before joining Elpida Memory. (Photo by Nikkei)

Obituaries

Japan chip industry veteran Yukio Sakamoto dies at 76

Outspoken leader's career spanned Texas Instruments to Elpida to China's Unigroup

29 February 2024

Tourists snap photos of Buddhist monks while watching the morning alms ceremony in Mandalay, Myanmar. (Photo by Charukesi Ramadurai)

Tea Leaves

Time for tourists in Asia to stop behaving badly

Lack of respect grows out of arrogance, as well as ignorance

28 February 2024

Sony Group reportedly acquired the rights to half of Michael Jackson's catalog for more than $600 million. (Photo courtesy of Sony Group)

Media & Entertainment

Sony aims for high note on music business with Bruce Springsteen catalog

Entertainment group devises way to quickly pay streaming revenue to artists

27 February 2024