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· Michelle De Pacina
Chinese supermarket chain grants employees 10 days of ‘sad leave’
Chinese supermarket chain Fat Dong Lai introduced a unique employee benefit called “sad leave,” granting workers 10 days off annually when they are feeling down. Key points:
· Bryan Ke
Thailand’s wet and wild New Year celebration Songkran sees millions of revelers
Millions of Thais and tourists partook in festivities in Bangkok over the weekend as Thailand kicked off its traditional New Year celebration called Songkran on Saturday. Key points:
· Carl Samson
Meet Fuzai, China’s first corgi cop
A 6-month-old corgi named Fuzai has made a groundbreaking debut as China’s first police dog of this breed. Key points:
· Michelle De Pacina
Pet dogs and cats outnumber newborns in Taiwan
Pet ownership has surpassed the number of newborns in Taiwan, with nearly 100,000 more pet dogs and cats registered than human infants. Key points:
· Carl Samson
SF Mayor London Breed aims to open Chinese university satellite campus downtown
San Francisco Mayor London Breed is headed to China to present plans aimed at drawing investments into the city, including setting up a satellite campus of a Chinese public university. Key points:
· Bryan Ke
Acclaimed Tokyo sushi chef to make US debut with $1,000 omakase experience in NYC
Legendary Tokyo sushi chef Hidefumi Namba is coming to New York City next month to host a special omakase dinner experience with a door charge of $1,000 per person. Key points:
· Ryan General
Hawaii-born sumo legend Akebono Taro dies at 54
Hawaii-born sumo champion Akebono Taro, Japan’s first foreign grand champion, has died at age 54. Key points:
· Michelle De Pacina
Vietnamese billionaire sentenced to death in $12.5 billion fraud case
Vietnamese property tycoon Truong My Lan, who was accused of embezzling around $12.4 billion, was sentenced to death for her involvement in the country’s largest financial fraud case. Key points:
· Michelle De Pacina
S. Korean man who assaulted short-haired woman for being ‘feminist’ gets 3 years in jail
A man in South Korea who was arrested for assaulting a woman because he suspected her of being a “feminist” due to her short hair, has been sentenced to three years in jail. Key points:
· Carl Samson
Playful dog turned rescue hero captures hearts after Taiwan earthquake
After the recent 7.4-magnitude earthquake that hit Taiwan, a dog once deemed unsuitable for drug detection has become a celebrated search and rescue hero, demonstrating the profound impact of second chances. Key points:
· Carl Samson
Meta’s AI finally imagines an Asian man and a white woman together
After drawing criticism over the past week, Meta’s AI image generation tool is finally able to spawn images of an Asian man and a white woman together — but consistency remains an issue. Key points:
· Michelle De Pacina
Video: Taiwanese grandfather continues watching TV unfazed during earthquake
A video of an unfazed grandfather during the moment a massive earthquake shook Taiwan last week has gone viral on social media. Key points:
· Bryan Ke
Princeton’s Xaivian Lee could be first Korean Canadian player in NBA
The Princeton University Tigers’ Xaivian Lee could become the first Korean Canadian player in the NBA, as the sophomore guard has declared for the NBA draft while retaining his college eligibility. Key points:
· Carl Samson
Meta’s AI image generator can’t put an Asian man and a white woman together
Significant limitations in Meta’s AI-powered image generator have been exposed, particularly in its inability to produce images of an Asian man with a white woman. Key points:
· Carl Samson
Manhattan Chinatown neighborhood struggles amid demolition for ‘jailscraper’
Residents in Manhattan’s Chinatown are bearing the disruptive impact of demolition work preceding the construction of what could be the world’s tallest jail. Key points:
· Michelle De Pacina
‘Giving up on men’: South Korea’s viral ‘4B movement’ explained
The viral “4B Movement” in South Korea serves as a response to prevalent sexism in the nation. Key points:
· Michelle De Pacina
Terrifying video shows collapsed building after 7.5 earthquake strikes Taiwan
Shocking videos shared on social media depict the damages done after a massive earthquake hit Taiwan, leaving nine dead and over 900 injured. Key points:
· Carl Samson
‘The Sympathizer’: Final trailer released for adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen novel
HBO has released the official trailer for “The Sympathizer,” its highly anticipated espionage thriller series based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same title. Key points:
· Ryan General
German, Canadian nationals arrested for teaching Shaolin kung fu in Thailand
Two foreign nationals were arrested in Thailand for illegally teaching a Shaolin kung fu course at a local yoga center. Key points:
· Carl Samson
20-year-old Bowdoin College student found dead in Maine parking lot
A 20-year-old Chinese woman was found dead at a parking lot in Topsham, Maine, on Saturday morning. Key points:
Answer
BTS connects to HYBE, Weverse, memberships, merch, and tickets.
People & Works
Open
Person · Screen
Anna Sawai
Her 'Shogun' win cracked a category that had never gone to an Asian actor in 76 years of the Emmys — a ceiling break that arrived only once the industry let an Asian-led epic play in its own language.
Culture surface · Beauty
Beauty retail
Beauty retail is a culture-first entry point into the listed company behind it.
Person · Music
Dimash Qudaibergen
A Kazakh singer with a freakish multi-octave range conquered China's living rooms overnight and became Central Asia's most improbable soft-power export — a diaspora-of-one proving fandom now flows East before West.
IP · Anime
Haikyu!! films
Haikyu!! is the rare franchise that peaked commercially after its manga ended — the 2024 film cleared $100M worldwide and back-catalog sales grew ~50% post-conclusion, evidence that a well-timed theatrical event can reactivate a completed IP rather than merely close it out.
Platform · Platforms
Kakao Entertainment
Kakao Entertainment connects to Kakao and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Platforms
Kling AI
Kling AI connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Platforms
Kuaishou
Kuaishou connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Platforms
Kwai
Kwai connects to Kuaishou and the broader platforms story around it.
Culture surface · Retail
Lifestyle retail
Lifestyle retail connects to Miniso and the broader retail story around it.
Results
Culture · brand
Uniqlo
Uniqlo connects to Fast Retailing, the company behind the stores, basics, and repeat buying habit.
Culture · routine / beauty brands
K-beauty
K-beauty connects to companies built around skincare routines, hero products, and travel retail.
Culture · platform
Weverse
Weverse connects to HYBE, the platform where memberships, merch, content, and fandom access keep moving after the song.
Company · Japan · TYO:7832
Bandai Namco Holdings
Bandai Namco sits behind toys, anime IP, games, and licensing that turn fandom into everyday consumer products.
Company · China · HKEX:1024
Kuaishou
Kuaishou is China's number-two short-video platform, where livestream selling turned everyday creators into a shopping channel and rewired how goods get sold.
Company · India · NSE:ZEEL
Zee Entertainment
Zee is one of India's largest media networks — the TV channels and ZEE5 streaming that carry Bollywood and regional-language entertainment to a billion viewers and the diaspora.
Company · Japan · TYO:9983
Fast Retailing
Fast Retailing matters because Uniqlo is an everyday consumer habit, not just a stock story.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:035900
JYP Entertainment
JYP is tied to groups that drive albums, tours, subscriptions, merch, and international fan activity.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:041510
SM Entertainment
SM is tied to idol groups, tours, fan clubs, and the long-running system behind some of K-pop's most recognizable acts.
Company · Korea · KOSDAQ:122870
YG Entertainment
YG connects global K-pop attention to touring, brand deals, fan demand, and artist-centered entertainment revenue.
Company · China · NYSE:BABA
Alibaba
Alibaba is China's commerce-and-entertainment backbone — Taobao and Tmall shopping habits fund Youku streaming and Alibaba Pictures, tying online spending to what China watches.
Alibaba · Platforms · NYSE:BABA
The Grammys created an award for Asian pop. BTS said no.
Alibaba is China's commerce-and-entertainment backbone — Taobao and Tmall shopping habits fund Youku streaming and Alibaba Pictures, tying online spending to what China watches.
Fast Retailing · Fashion · TYO:9983
Your Uniqlo basics keep you coming back.
This shows up when you go back to Uniqlo for another pack of basics instead of treating the brand like a one-time fashion buy.
NetEase · Streaming · HKEX:9999
Your playlist depends on deals you never see.
NetEase helps explain gaming, music streaming, and online entertainment habits in Chinese consumer culture.
CJ ENM · Entertainment · KOSDAQ:035760
Before the first song drops, H//PE Princess already has a global Warner deal.
A debut deal matters less than whether the group turns into repeat listening, touring, merch, and fandom across markets.
Explainer · Sanrio
Hello Kitty is not just something you buy anymore. Sanrio wants you to play inside the world.
Sanrio shows how character fandom becomes retail, licensing, collabs, parks, and global consumer demand.
Explainer · Amorepacific
K-beauty won the Amazon cart. The real prize is your second bottle.
The first sale matters less than the repeat routine. If a product sticks, the brand can keep winning on replenishment, retail placement, and cross-market demand.