It may not be a public holiday in Japan, but Christmas there is big business. Quirky seasonal customs take place in people's homes across the country, while city squares host elaborate Christmas ...

In ancient times, it’s believed, villagers maintained traditions alien to the rest ... candles and crèches. In Japan, Christmas Eve is a kind of date night in which many young people ignore ...

Takayuki Akimoto can’t get into the Christmas spirit as he heads a group out to destroy what it views as Japan’s financially motivated “Christmas culture” The group, founded in 2006 ...

Many of these practices are rooted in culinary traditions that have become deeply ... those hankering after their favourite oily balls. In Japan, come New Year’s Eve, families typically gather ...

We revisit Aussie chef Benjamin Flatt and lacquerware artist Suzanne Ross from the UK in their efforts to preserve the culture of their adoptive Noto in the aftermath of the quake that hit a year ...