Exploring the world through the lens of culture is one of my passions. I’ve written extensively about the cultures of Asia, from Japanese mountain monks and Mongolian horsemanship to Vietnamese street food and Indian music. Here’s a curated snapshot of my varied cultural writings.

The Diplomat

Forbidden Ink: Japan’s Contentious Tattoo Heritage

Despite an illustrious past and revered status overseas, Japanese tattoos have long struggled for acceptance at home.

The Diplomat

Bangkok Noir: Crime Fiction in the City of Angels

Thailand’s capital is home to a vibrant community of writers exploring the city’s vast underbelly.

The Diplomat

Thangka: Painting the Roadmap to Enlightenment

An interview with thangka master painter and teacher, Ambar Lama, on the state of this iconic Tibetan art.

The Diplomat (monthly magazine)

Very Thai: Street, Style and Society in the Kingdom

How a book by a Bangkok-based British author came to embody a shift in Thai cultural consciousness.

Kyoto Journal

Pop, Politics and Modern Asia

Asia has a long way to go in addressing its past and present political baggage. A more progressive spirit in the region’s popular culture could help change the conversation.

The Diplomat

Storytelling, Cultural Spheres and the Senkaku Dilemma

To what extent could a shared cultural sphere overcome bitter disputes and heal wounds from East Asia’s past?

The Diplomat

Mermaids of Asia: Dugongs, Dragon Wives and the Deep

Although the mermaid mythos is normally thought to be Western, it runs deep in Asia too.

The Diplomat

Shark Finning: Appetite for Extinction?

Asia’s taste for shark fin soup endangers a number of species. But attitudes are changing.

The Diplomat

Saving the Buddhas of Mes Aynak

In a race against time, archaeologists are working to save a Buddhist site of immense significance in Afghanistan, slated for imminent destruction by a Chinese mining firm.