Contributor
Culture Correspondent
Kenji Arakawa covers art, film and music across Tokyo, Seoul and Taipei for Pacific Press Asia.
SINGAPORE —The Busan International Film Festival's new A-list accreditation by FIAPF offers a direct route to Oscar eligibility, underscoring evolving dynamics within Asia's cinematic landscape.
SINGAPORE —The anticipation surrounding the 2026 Vancouver Michelin Guide ceremony underscores a growing global trend in culinary recognition, prompting reflections on how such Western-centric systems influence diverse food traditions.
SINGAPORE —Matsuya's arrival in Singapore highlights a nuanced negotiation between global brands and regional tastes.
A provincial promise to lower fuel costs in Canada reveals a deeper societal expectation that government can, and should, shield consumers from global market forces, a sentiment familiar across the Pacific.
SINGAPORE —The new series 'Dive into You' illustrates a genre reaching for familiar tropes, yet struggles to connect with an audience seemingly less willing to embrace superficial narratives of emotional numbness and time travel.
SINGAPORE —A rising trend among Gen Z, known as 'whimsymaxxing,' prioritizes individual joy and personal adornment, subtly challenging cultural expectations of productivity and understated aesthetics.
The death of a prominent UK figure invites reflection on how societies address childhood vulnerability and individual autonomy, offering a point of comparison for Asian cultural contexts.
An exhibition of Lenape art in New York City reveals a struggle for cultural continuity that resonates across regions grappling with historical suppression.
While Canadians receive financial aid for rising food costs, Canada's strategic moves to redirect energy eastward hint at a complex repositioning in global trade, with implications for Asia's economic landscape.
A Vancouver viaduct closure, though local, highlights the quiet negotiation between city life and the persistent demands of aging urban infrastructure.
SINGAPORE —A franchise dispute reveals the complex interplay of commercial interests and national identity in a long-cherished cultural event.
SINGAPORE —A Bedok Reservoir HDB flat offers more than interior design trends; it reflects a broader engagement with local artistic production.
Minor shifts in Canadian property values highlight a wider cultural inclination towards stability, even in the face of economic pressure.
SINGAPORE —Sandra Button’s departure from Concours d’Elegance signals more than a change in stewardship; it foregrounds the delicate balance between commercial success and the curation of cultural heritage, a tension keenly felt across our region.
SINGAPORE —Netflix’s 'The Scandal' uses an 18th-century French novel to navigate the strictures of Joseon-era patriarchy, revealing a particular strategy for regional cultural export.
Mike Halford and Jason Brough's return to air, bypassing traditional radio, highlights a broader pattern of cultural continuity in the digital age.
SINGAPORE —MrBeast's collaboration with James Patterson tests the boundaries of engagement, revealing how digital spectacle intersects with reading in unexpected ways across the region.
SINGAPORE —A sports general manager's aversion to an 'overused' word offers a lens into how East and Southeast Asia frame abstract concepts of collective identity.
SINGAPORE —Amidst readily available festive items, the meticulous work of traditional artisans reveals deeper tensions about cultural value and the nature of preservation.
SINGAPORE —The recent Paris court decision, awarding Kim Kardashian a single euro in damages for her 2016 jewel heist, offers a curious lens through which to examine the value placed on public narratives, particularly in the Asia-Pacific.
The surprising resilience of a heavy metal venue in Alice Springs offers a lens on unconventional cultural spaces across the Asia-Pacific.
SINGAPORE —A film director’s choice to prioritize video game 'ethos' over plot reveals a changing cultural understanding of immersion.
After two years, the re-entry of boycotting artists into the Brisbane Portrait Prize marks a shift in how creative communities confront technology, moving from refusal to re-engagement.
SINGAPORE —An Indian auction house's strategic move reveals more than a market expansion.
International outcry over NAZA directors reveals a growing tension: when does artistic interpretation become a state security matter?
SINGAPORE —Singapore's arts center offers a glimpse into evolving audience engagement, prompting questions about the region's cultural recovery.
SINGAPORE —Tom Cruise's latest role offers a lens into how definitive labels are applied to actions across a culturally diverse region.
SINGAPORE —The display of an 11th-century tapestry in London demonstrates how cultural artifacts, whether in Europe or Asia, interpret foundational historical moments and their lasting legacies.
SINGAPORE —The incident in Johor Bahru, involving an actor's meal and a visible pest, exposes an underlying tension in how reputations are built and perceived between nations.
SINGAPORE —A public health incident at a Beijing fitness race highlights how cultural narratives shape perceptions of physical wellness in the region.