When pirates ruled asia’s waves

The Barbary corsair ship appeared suddenly on the horizon, bristling with cannon. Its decks swarming with armed men, it sliced through the waves at a clip that its quarry – the British merchant ship A

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

Did you know that Thomas Müntzer, leader of the German Peasants’ War in 1525, used a rainbow flag to rally his followers? It’s an aptly exuberant image for the radical charisma of Müntzer, and for the

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

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 Bonhams sale last month provided the perfect excuse to rediscover the works of peripatetic artist George Chinnery, who went to the Far East to escape his wife