A tale of three scandals: behind the headlines in Japan
Shukan Bunshun magazine is a conservative weekly which has recently brought down three figures who, in different ways, represent the forces…
By
Asia
Latest in
Asia
Gaming North Korea’s missiles: what are the mathematics of peace?
The equilibrium of the world's different nuclear arsenals is a victory for game theory - but North Korea's ambitions could upset the…
By
In the dark: what is behind India’s obsession with skin whitening?
The advertising of skin whitening products has shifted from the downright offensive to the consciously discreet, but the range on…
By
Stamping out militant networks is an incredibly complicated job – as Pakistan has discovered
The death toll from recent attacks in Pakistan are still shocking, but it does represent an improvement.
By
Han Kang’s Human Acts chronicles the tragedy of ordinariness violated
Human Acts deals with the obliteration, both physical and psychic, of hundreds of its own citizens by the South Korean…
By
What the saga of a boyband’s break-up (and patch-up) tells us about Japan
The boyband SMAP has been an important social binder in a nation that prides itself on its sense of community and…
By
The Chinese dream drifts on undisturbed
China's economic statistics obscure a reality in which big-city dreams still come true.
By
The end of the Everest circus? How Sherpas are taking back their mountain
A succession of tragedies on the world’s highest mountain has caused tensions between western climbers, their local guides, and the…
By