Lebanese retiree Edgard Chaya got into the tile-making trade by chance, after stumbling upon a suitcase belonging to a great uncle. Inside, Chaya discovered a set of curious metal shapes and moulds – castings to make tra…
Kyoto is the traditional home of Japanese artisans who make highly detailed ceramics and perfectly woven silks. That same set of skills has also helped it become the country’s hi-tech heartland.
Friday 11 December
As Jews around the world prepare to celebrate the festival of Hannukah tonight, the Hungarian capital is hosting its biggest-ever Hannukah festival.
Friday 1 January
If the increase in young-chef driven “boutique” ramen stores around Tokyo is any indication, 2010 is going to be a good year for ramen noodles.
Tuesday 3 April
Inspired by the unseasonably warm weather last week in London, I embarked on a bit of spring-cleaning.
In the wake of a very difficult year for Japan, Monocle heads to Tokyo for its annual design week to see how the city and country is using craft heritage to attract new business.
Jealous of the British-inspired Commonwealth Games and the Jeux de la Francophonie for nations of the former French empire, Portugal has created the Jogos da Lusofonia. In a world of soft power, pole vaulters and sprinters…
Sometimes it takes just one retailer to unite an entire neighbourhood and restore an old-fashioned sense of community. Here are five doing just that. Things to improve your life
Friday 24 September
The last-minute scramble to get everything ready for next week’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi is hardly unusual in India: a final push involving everyone in the village, plus the guests, to get arrangements finished is so…
Wednesday 24 February
The prospect of India’s first on-screen gay liaison has made foreign media outlets hot under the collar but it is proving to be a different story on the sub-continent.
Based in the Italian Alps, Valgrisa shows an alternative to mass-production by using locally sourced lambswool and centuries-old techniques.
The work of the Zimmerer, or carpenter, in Germany is steeped in tradition and their skill in restoring old timber houses is much in demand. We meet the master and his apprentice who is training for a way of life, not just…
Downloadable novels, written to be read on mobile phones, are the most remarkable success story in Japanese publishing. The fledgling industry is already worth ¥9 billion (€57m) a year – while sales of traditional books are…
Japan may not be the first country that springs to mind when you think of the best traditional mechanical watches, but the Grand Seiko series, relaunched in 1998, has found a loyal following in Asia.
The Karaköy neighbourhood of Istanbul is poised on the brink of significant change as a major development project seeks to revitalise its port area, bringing hotels, shopping, residences and a resultant flow of tourists to…
Kamal Mouzawak, chef, writer and founder of the Souk El Tayeb farmers’ market, has made it his life’s mission to celebrate the regional produce and cuisine of Lebanon. As he prepares a feast for friends in his Batroun…
Røros-Tweed has been weaving Norwegian lambswool products since 1939, building on a local tradition that goes back centuries. Rescued from bankruptcy in 1968, it is now supplying some of the world’s top designers.
Last July saw import bans on the highest grade of Spanish jamón ibérico de bellota lifted in the US. As a result, more people are eating what fans refer to as ‘porcine wagyu’.
Thursday 25 February
In Stockholm, 25 February marks the beginning of an old Swedish tradition.
Monday 31 May
As traditional news media outlets fret over their business models, there’s no shortage of upstarts hot-housing the future of journalism online.
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