Iran from above - In the mountains

Iran’s mountainous terrain has always been an important part of people’s lives. Years ago, these mountains were populated by legendary horsemen. Today, they are the subject of scientific investigation.

The Biggest LIE about Japan

 

Japan is one of the world's most misunderstood cultures. How healthy is the food really? Is the country a technological marvel? And how friendly is everyone in everyday life?

How Ukrainians are saving art during the war

Despite the fact that it’s a war crime to target cultural heritage, cultural sites are often treated as a second front: looted, damaged, or destroyed as a way for an aggressor to assert power, demoralize an enemy, and control — or even erase — a cultural narrative.

Life in North Korea

 

Rick Santorum Dismisses Indigenous Communities

 ‘There isn’t much Native American culture in American culture’ — Rick Santorum completely dismissed Indigenous communities, essentially claiming that they have nothing to do with America’s identity.

How Chinese & Japanese Cultures Influenced Each Other Through History

 

Mongolians battle to keep culture alive in China - BBC News

 

Ethnic Mongolians battle to keep their language and culture alive in China Close In recent years, the Chinese government has faced damning criticism over its handling of ethnic minorities like the Uighurs and also Tibetans. Now the central government, which is dominated by China’s majority Han Chinese, has decided to reduce Mongolian language teaching, prompting rare protests in China’s northern border region

South Korea: The Silent Cultural Superpower

Rana Mitter finds out how South Korean culture manages to punch so far above its weight.

Japanology Plus Wood Culture

70% of Japan's land is covered in forests and woodland. For centuries, wood has been used for furniture, buildings, and tools. This time on Japanology Plus, our theme is the cultural significance of wood.

Inside Japan’s Chicano Subculture

When I heard Chicano culture had spread to Japan, I wanted to see it for myself. Who knew the culture I grew up with had a home so far from California? I met with stars Junichi Shimodaira, Mona “Sad Girl” and Night tha Funksta.

12 Things NOT to do in Japan

What not to do in Japan! Learn the etiquette before you get here!

China Doesn't Like That I'm a Single Woman, Here's Why | Op-Docs

In this Op-Doc, based on the Independent Lens feature documentary “Leftover Women,” we follow one of those women — Qiu Huamei, contending with the stigma and social pressure forcing her to go on a grueling quest in search of a husband. She grew up in a small village five hours south of Beijing and is the second youngest of five sisters. Ms. Qiu is a successful lawyer, fluent in English and opinionated — but those qualities do not outweigh one key flaw: She is not married.

Ordering and Eating Politely at a Japanese Restaurant

How to Distinguish Japanese from Other Asians w/o Facial Features

When I'm in a foreign country, I can often tell when I see Japanese people even from behind and from a distance. In this video, I discuss some characteristics that many Japanese people share but other Asian people don't necessarily.

The race to save endangered foods

We’re letting foods we’ve eaten for thousands of years disappear from farmers’ fields, and from our plates. Saving them isn’t just a matter of cultural preservation. In the next 30 years, we’re going to need to learn how to feed more people on a hotter planet, and the more genetic varieties we lose, the harder it’ll be to adapt.

Japanology Plus - Okinawan Dance

Tourism and globalization - Are backpackers destroying the planet? | DW...

The relationship between people seeking adventure off the beaten track and countries hoping for secure sources of income is complex. Native peoples and landscapes have been changed by tourism forever. The documentary by US director Pegi Vail tells how the fine balance of respect for sacred places, valuable nature and cultural identity can be achieved on the one hand - and the traveller's hunger for new experiences on the other. "It's time for a rethink," Vail says. She doesn't want to demonize travel itself, she just wants to improve it. "Travel is still one of the most important ways for us to get to know each other anywhere in the world." But because more and more people want it and can also afford it, solutions are needed to protect places from the destructive effects of mass tourism. "Travel is important," says the film, "but please do it right!"

BEGIN Japanology - Bento

Bento (弁当 bentō?) is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento holds rice, fish or meat, with pickled or cooked vegetables, usually in a box-shaped container. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. Bento boxes are readily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops (弁当屋 bentō-ya?), railway stations, and department stores. However, Japanese homemakers often spend time and energy on a carefully prepared lunch box for their spouse, child, or themselves.

25 Things ’80s Kids Could Do That Today’s Kids Can’t

Did you know there are a many things '80s kids could do that today's kids can't? Technology and culture has radically altered the way we do things. What once was pretty normal is now either old fashioned, taboo, out-dated, or weird.

The Surprising Pattern Behind Color Names Around The World

In 1969, two Berkeley researchers, Paul Kay and Brent Berlin, published a book on a pretty groundbreaking idea: that every culture in history, when they developed their languages, invented words for colors in the exact same order. They claimed to know this based off of a simple color identification test, where 20 respondents identified 330 colored chips by name. If a language had six words, they were always black, white, red, green, yellow, and blue. If it had four terms, they were always black, white, red, and then either green or yellow. If it had only three, they were always black, white, and red , and so on. The theory was revolutionary — and it shaped our understanding of how color terminologies emerge.