From island-hopping in southerly Okinawa to farm experiences in rural Aomori and skiing in far northern Hokkaido, this diverse archipelago offers intriguing local culture, ancient history and epic wilderness experiences around every corner — and deeper exploration reaps huge rewards

A Rajasthan tiger hunt picture and a silver kiddush cup from Khurasan with coeval inscriptions in Hebrew and Arabic starred at two sales that put the spotlight on the art of Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent

The Land of the Rising Sun’s eight female rulers are all but forgotten, but their lives and reigns were filled with drama

The Tale of Genji , the Japanese novel that dazzled the West

Silverware, with its glistering surface and ornate designs, dresses the table like no other material and has an unmatched capacity for turning a meal into an occasion, as Matthew Dennison discovers

Cultural Crusader