Samurai rose to be global emblems of honour and courage, but their story doesn’t always match the myths they told about themselves, as a British Museum exhibition shows

Julián Casanova Franco 528pp. Crítica. €22.90. Giles Tremlett El Generalísimo Franco: Power, violence and the quest for greatness 528pp. Bloomsbury. £30. Juan Carlos I, with Laurence Debray Reconcilia

In January 1979, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi fled Iran with “his wife, some jewels and a clod of earth”, says author Christopher de Bellaigue in the Financial Times. A measure of how the country’s Isla

Discover Kobe city’s famous Wagyu beef, visit one of Japan’s few ‘original’ castles and meet the small-town brewers and potters that make this region so special

Explore a little-visited region where Shinto gods congregate and masked dancers tell ancient legends

Delve into the lush tropical forests and unique Ryukyu culture of northern Okinawa to discover ancient castles, proud communities, rare wildlife and life-enhancing cuisine