Asia

At A Japanese Cafe You're By Yourself But Not Alone

8:47am May 07, 2014

At the Moomin Cafe in Tokyo, customers can be seated at a table opposite a giant stuffed animal. If eating alone makes you feel conspicuous, sitting with a giant stuffed animal my not be the solution.

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On the outskirts of Islamabad, a Pakistani health worker vaccinates an Afghan refugee against polio.

The Comeback Of Polio Is A Public Health Emergency

4:25pm May 06, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

The paralyzing virus had seemed on the verge of disappearing. But this year cases are being reported in 10 countries. The World Health Organization has responded with strict vaccination rules.

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Sri Lankan Opera Singer Followed Her Dream To American Stage

12:32pm May 06, 2014

A Sri Lankan soprano is shattering stereotypes. Tharanga Goonetilleke tells NPR's Scott Simon about being an opera singer and the first Sri Lankan woman accepted to The Juilliard School.

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Beijing Bans Outdoor Grills

7:35am May 01, 2014

The Chinese capital announced the ban in a fight against its notorious pollution. Beijing's popular kebab vendors will be forced to move inside.

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Relatives carry a casket bearing the body of a Mount Everest avalanche victim for cremation in Kathmandu on Monday.

World News

Fear For Sherpas' Future Grows With Each Climbing Tragedy

9:42am April 30, 2014

by Arun Venugopal

Sherpas have a great reputation as the world's best climbers. But when something goes wrong up in the mountains, it deeply affects the small ethnic group and its communities around the world.

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Stronger Patent Protections Sought In Pacific Rim Trade Pact

12:29pm April 28, 2014

by NPR Staff

Diverse industries, from pharmaceuticals to film, are lobbying for strict patent protections in the Trans-Pacific trade deal.

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World News

Internet Freedom Debate Stokes Rivalry Between Turkey's Top Two

7:17pm April 24, 2014

by Peter Kenyon

Turkey has been roiled by street protests, a Twitter ban controversy and, most recently, a growing rivalry between the ruling party's top two figures, the president and prime minister.

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World News

Obama: U.S. To Defend Japan In Territorial Disputes With China

7:30am April 24, 2014

by Anthony Kuhn

President Obama is in Japan for the start of his four-nation Asia visit. The trip aims to assure U.S. allies that they're not forgotten, even as China gets more bullish with its neighbors.

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President Obama shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before a private dinner at Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo on Wednesday. At Sukiyabashi Jiro, people pay a minimum of $300 for 20 pieces of sushi chosen by the patron, Jiro Ono.

World News

Obama Gets A Taste Of Jiro's 'Dream' Sushi In Name Of Diplomacy

11:06pm April 23, 2014

by NPR Staff

On the first leg of his Asian tour, the president stopped by the iconic sushi restaurant. David Gelb, who directed a documentary about the restaurant, says eating there is amazing and nerve-wracking.

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Abhina Aher was born a boy biologically and is now a hijra, a member of an ancient transgender community in India. Of her painful physical and psychological transformation, Aher remembers now: "I just wanted to become a beautiful butterfly."

World News

A Journey Of Pain And Beauty: On Becoming Transgender In India

9:25am April 21, 2014

by Julie McCarthy

Abhina Aher is a member of the country's storied, yet marginalized, transgender community. Last week, the India's highest court legally recognized the group as a new gender — neither male nor female.

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