The Tibetan plateau is the source of many of Asia’s major rivers and control over water gives China an edge when it comes to geopolitical stakes.
The Jizō statue’s mythology runs deep in Japan and travellers appreciate his protection.
You have to wonder why the Nio, also known as Kongōrikishi, want to frighten you. After all, the temple is a place for quiet prayer and...
On the surface, Tibet appears to be Chinese. However, Tibetans consider their own language and culture to be important, and their soul, thinking, and loyalty cannot...
“[It is] a message that human rights are fundamental, and democracy is universal. These values are in contrast with what China says is ‘socialism with Chinese’...
Deeply affecting Japanese culture, the revered prince whose life is celebrated every 100 years is credited with Japan's 17 Article Constitution and welcoming Buddhism. But what...
‘What Japan can most beautifully offer to the world right now is not the futurism its technology and big companies often represent, but its closeness to...
‘I choose to live in Japan as a tourist partly to keep myself honest…. Being a tourist here reminds me that I don’t know very much,...
In November 2012, Tibet’s present spiritual leader, His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, presented a Tibetan shawl to Shinzo Abe, then Japan’s main opposition Liberal...
Bookmark is a JAPAN Forward feature that gives you long reads for the weekend. Each edition introduces one overarching thought that branches off to a...
The current global pandemic has greatly altered life as we know it, and practically every industry has been affected. Some clear cases are tourism and...
Out of the way and nestled in the foothill forests of the Shima peninsula, Ise is home to the inner and outer Ise shrines. An...
