From cocktails to karaoke, more Japanese people are going it alone. What's causing the huge change in the traditionally group-oriented country?

A young writer wrote a controversial bit of military science fiction about sexual politics. The fallout was nuclear.

Its history is as political as it is delicious. Dive into the history of this not-so-Thai noodle dish that was born of politics and nationalism almost 80 years ago.

Cultural norms, complex religious influences and friendly police officers make losing something no big deal. But does this tell the whole story about Japan’s relationship with honesty?

Oddballs, schemers and psychopaths: in the course of his long career, John Malkovich has convincingly played them all. But whether this makes him an unusual – or unusually perfect – choice for the role of supreme pontiff in HBO’s The New Pope is something he would rather not consider.

When Lisa Peterson became homeless, she spent months without a bed of her own. But her phone never left her sight. Driving across the country, couch-surfing and staying in crisis accommodations, Lisa would charge her phone at train stations and use free public Wi-Fi to stay connected.

As Japan’s population shrinks and ages, rural areas are emptying out. In one childless village, two dozen adults compensate for the absence with the company of hundreds of giant handmade dolls.

If Armando Iannucci’s genius is founded on anything, it’s his acute worldliness. From his early news media spoof The Day Today to his excruciating political sitcoms The Thick of It and Veep, and films In the Loop and The Death of Stalin, he has set upon the corrupt and powerful with a caustic verve that gives him rightful claim to being the 21st Century’s greatest satirist.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is the richest man alive, by a healthy margin. He's sat at the top of the annual Forbes billionaires list for the past two years, most recently with an estimated $130 billion net worth, an amount that, were he a country, would give him a higher GDP than, say, all of Morocco.

Anarchic, organic, surreal, this enclave was once among the most densely populated places on Earth.

Good day, and welcome to The Monitor, WIRED’s roundup of the biggest news in pop culture. What’s happening in the world right now? To start, people are showing up in big numbers to watch Watchmen. Also, Taylor Swift is (maybe) going to the Sundance Film Festival, and there’s a new Mulan trailer. Let’s dive in.

The giant pot of dark brew brimming with beef, spices and herbs sits near the sidewalk on a busy street in Bangkok, where it is constantly stirred by a member of the third-generation-owned restaurant.

Long before Impossible Burgers, China had been making delicious "fake meat" dishes out of mushrooms, nuts and vegetables. Find out what the Chinese knew before the rest of us caught ontainted.

From love songs to dance tunes to lullabies, music made in disparate cultures wo...

The social changes of the past few generations have made the question of when (or whether) to include a significant other in a holiday celebration a particularly fraught one—for everyone involved.

767.7K Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email There is an entire day during a festival in Nepal dedicated solely to thanking dogs for their loyalty and friendship. The time itself is called “Diwali” celebrated by Hindus, and is a ‘festival of lights’ celebrated by millions every year in the fall, in india, nepal and elsewhere.

Think our winter's been a bit grim? Try visiting Yakutsk – the Russian city where 'a bit nippy' means minus 50C, and a quick dash to the corner shop could end in frostbite. Shaun Walker enjoys amini-break in deepest Siberia

In a country where people often go barefoot indoors – considering it a gesture of respect and a nod to hygiene – a village in southern India has taken the practice to a new level.

New data shows Japanese citizens prefer whale watching to whale meat.

The next generation of U.S. buyers isn’t shopping like their parents.