This Week in Asia /

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An elderly man walks through a shopping district in Tokyo, Japan. Photo: Reuters

Japan’s 2035 tipping point looms as cities set to shrink amid population ageing

Japan faces urban population decline by 2035, with ageing societies challenging city sustainability and prompting calls for immigration reform.

16 Feb 2025 - 8:00AMvideocam

‘Boy sober’ and loving it: why Asia’s young women are swiping left on romance

15 Feb 2025 - 5:00PM

Why Japan is the No 1 travel destination for Chinese tourists

12 Feb 2025 - 8:25PM

Is Malaysia’s cancel culture killing its showbiz scene?

International acts must comply with strict regulations, as authorities threaten to ‘hit the kill switch’ on concerts violating the rules.

11 Feb 2025 - 1:33PM

Mike Dirnt, Billie Joe Armstrong and Tre Cool of US band Green Day at the 67th annual Grammy Awards this month. They are set to perform at the National Hockey Stadium in Kuala Lumpur next week. Photo: Invision/AP

Malaysia scraps guidelines for Muslims at events of other faiths after backlash

Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and non-Muslim religious groups have criticised the ‘unnecessary’ rules.

10 Feb 2025 - 4:00PM

Singapore’s pandan cake showdown: tradition vs modernity

Two bakeries, one iconic dessert. As a sprightly challenger reinvents the pandan cake, can it topple the years-long reign of Bengawan Solo?

9 Feb 2025 - 4:00PMvideocam

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Malaysia’s careful comedians lament narrowing space for laughter

Malaysian stand-up comedy is being muzzled by an increasingly censorious social media amid heightened sensitivities over race and religion.

8 Feb 2025 - 4:00PM

Malaysian stand-up comedy pioneer Harith Iskander. Facebook/Harith Iskander

Paranormal event or hoax? ‘Missing’ Malaysian influencer rescued from jungle

Bandung police say the TikTok influencer, and a fellow Malaysian YouTuber, may have breached Indonesia’s fake news laws.

7 Feb 2025 - 2:35PM

Parents urged to act on vapes as Malaysian government holds back on ban

Minister says it is up to families to keep their children away from vapes, amid a rise in the number of students caught vaping.

4 Feb 2025 - 6:55PM

‘Like a mobile capsule hotel’: Japan to unveil first-ever sleeper bus

A Japanese bus company’s first bunk-bed bus aims to remove accommodation costs for young concert travellers.

4 Feb 2025 - 4:33PM

Two women try out the Sommeil Profond, an overnight bus service between Tokyo and Kochi which will begin operations in March. Photo: Handout

What’s the kebaya? Unesco’s recognition of blouse reflects Asean’s rich culture

As the kebaya gets Unesco’s recognition, what does its global cultural status mean for the future of the garment?

7 Feb 2025 - 9:45PM

A group of women wearing traditional kebaya outfits in Melaka, Malaysia. Photo: Cedric Tan

In Japan, a Muslim community’s wish to bury its dead stirs wave of hostility

Misleading reports and social media attacks have sought to block plans for a Muslim cemetery in the town of Hiji in southern Japan.

2 Feb 2025 - 5:00PM

Japanese cave diver seeks to recover remains from 1942 Chosei mine disaster

A civic group is leading the effort, seeking to honour the victims and provide closure for their families.

1 Feb 2025 - 11:00AM

Never mind the yakuza, in Japan ‘quick money’ gangs are now on the rise

Japan has seen a surge in desperate young people committing ‘yami baito’ – small-time crimes as part-time jobs.

28 Jan 2025 - 12:45PMvideocam

Japanese police on patrol in Tokyo last year. Photo: AFP

‘Singaporeans don’t want this job’: city state’s hawker culture faces revolution

Singapore’s hawker culture is facing a manpower crisis, with many locals unwilling to work long hours for low pay. To address this, some hawkers are turning to robots.

25 Jan 2025 - 3:06PMvideocam

People buy food for lunch at a hawkers centre in Singapore. Photo: AFP

Outrage in Japan over man suspected of killing 77 rabbits on famed tourist island

The man, charged with kicking a rabbit to death on Okunoshima, reportedly said he was curious how they would react to ‘bullying’.

24 Jan 2025 - 3:39PM

‘I do’ … at last: LGBTQ couples in Thailand marry as same-sex unions legalised

The new law allows couples aged 18 or above to marry regardless of their gender, and access to medical, inheritance and property rights.

23 Jan 2025 - 6:00PMvideocam

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Last laugh? Muslim comedian faces backlash over ham joke in Malaysia

Harith Iskander’s joke about ham sap kopi – a coffee drink – offended some Muslims, leading to police reports and calls for his social media suspension.

23 Jan 2025 - 8:56PM

Malaysian comedian Harith Iskander performs. Photo: Facebook/Harith Iskander

Teenage girls groped by Japan’s ‘chikan’ train perverts offered exam resits

It follows widespread reports of train gropers targeting students who were heading to university entrance exams over the weekend.

23 Jan 2025 - 8:00AM

Indian hotel chain’s married couples-only room policy sparks freedom debate

The OYO Hotels chain says the policy will only apply in the city of Meerut but might be extended to more locations depending on the response.

22 Jan 2025 - 7:57PM

Naomi Campbell to mentor Thais to be next top models, ex-PM Thaksin says

Supermodel expected to visit Thailand next month to advise Thaksin on how Thais can follow in her footsteps and compete with on the world stage.

21 Jan 2025 - 8:19PM

Naomi Campbell poses with the medal of “Chevalier de l’Ordres des Arts et des Lettres” at the culture ministry in Paris in September 2024. Photo: AP

‘Life is getting harder’: more Japanese middle-aged men lose their cool

In the past week alone, three men were arrested after allegedly being involved in separate incidents of slapping and using an ice pick.

20 Jan 2025 - 7:03PMvideocam

More middle-aged Japanese men are involved in acts of violence, which analysts attribute partly to workplace stress. Photo: Shutterstock

Malaysia gripped by Sports Toto lottery fever, even 2 ‘lucky’ snakes show up

From office workers and senior citizens, Malaysians flocked to Sports Toto outlets to have a shot at winning a US$27.7 million jackpot.

20 Jan 2025 - 2:12PM

‘Shameful’: outrage in Malaysia as disabled man assaulted in video as people watch

The video shows men attacking the victim, kicking him in the face, prompting a debate on the treatment of vulnerable people in Malaysia.

20 Jan 2025 - 11:29AM

India faces digital riddle to spread education among its young people

Stark gaps in tech access in schools and lack of digital proficiency will leave millions of students unprepared for future workforce, analysts warn.

20 Jan 2025 - 8:00AMvideocam

Students at a university campus in India. A recent government report has revealed that only a fraction of the country’s schools are equipped with functional computers. Photo: Shutterstock

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