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

MATEUS ASATO IS the kind of guitarist we haven’t heard much of lately — a true original. He doesn’t do anything particularly outrageous or revolutionary — there’s no crazy gimmick (yet) that he’ll be

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

Andrey Gugnin (piano) Hyperion CDA684712 83 mins This album of Russian ballet transcriptions sparkles like a glass bauble hanging amidst the fairy lights. Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky wrote so colourful

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

‘We’re going to have a tonal centre and tap our feet, and that’s the way it is.’ Steve Reich is in full flow, talking to me from his home in New York. ‘The big break, the knife down the line, was betw