Showing 1 - 10 of 21
'Artists of steel': Japanese swords forge new fanbase
AFP, Published on 11/02/2026
» MISATO, SAITAMA (JAPAN) - Sparks illuminate the soot-covered studio of Japanese swordsmith Akihira Kawasaki as his apprentice hammers red-hot steel, showcasing a millennium-old craft now enjoying a resurgence in popularity.
Japan, South Korea leaders drum up viral moment with K-pop jam
AFP, Published on 14/01/2026
» TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi played two K-pop songs during a post-summit drumming session with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who joked he felt "a little awkward" in front of the former heavy metal band member.
Indian festival of lights Diwali joins Unesco heritage list
AFP, Published on 10/12/2025
» NEW DELHI — India's festival of lights, Diwali, was on Wednesday announced as an addition to the intangible cultural heritage list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), sparking celebrations.
India's divine designs meld with AI at Durga Puja festival
AFP, Published on 29/09/2025
» KOLKATA - Millions in India's eastern city of Kolkata will draw on millennia-old traditions when they celebrate the Hindu festival of Durga Puja this week with street parties and worshipping idols in elaborate pavilions.
Former sex worker records Tokyo's red-light history
AFP, Published on 14/03/2025
» TOKYO — It is late morning and steam is rising from water tanks atop the colourful but opaque-windowed "soapland" sex parlours in a historic Tokyo red-light district.
DR Congo's 'voodoo wrestling' is spellbinding fun
Emmet Livingstone of AFP, Published on 09/08/2023
» KINSHASA: There has been a power cut, and under moonlight in a poor quarter of DR Congo's capital, wrestler Maitresse Libondans explains how she invokes her ancestors to cast spells that rout her opponents.
‘Voodoo wrestling’ is spellbinding fun in DR Congo
AFP, Published on 02/08/2023
» KINSHASA: There has been a power cut, and under moonlight in a poor quarter of DR Congo's capital, wrestler Maitresse Libondans explains how she invokes her ancestors to cast spells that rout her opponents.
Streaming giants battle for anime supremacy
AFP, Published on 11/05/2023
» TOKYO - From R-rated sci-fi to teen biker gang adventures, streaming platforms are locked in an intensifying battle for dominance in one of the entertainment sector's hottest and most lucrative mediums: anime.
Japan's 'crying baby sumo' festival returns after pandemic
AFP, Published on 23/04/2023
» TOKYO - Dozens of bawling Japanese babies faced off Saturday in a traditional "crying sumo" ritual believed to bring the infants good health, which returned for the first time in four years after the pandemic.
Ukraine's 58th brigade in the heart of the Bakhmut mire
AFP, Published on 01/11/2022
» BAKHMUT (UKRAINE) - In the east Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, 15 kilometres (nine miles) from the positions held by Russian forces, an artillery unit waits for the signal.