Category Archives: Culture

Cities, Culture, Travel, Videos, Views

Travel Guide: ‘Kanda Neighborhood, Tokyo’

Video Leave a comment

This historic corner of northeast Tokyo was once described as a place for “universities, bookshops and intellectuals”. Academic institutions are still there – along with the Holy Resurrection Cathedral – but Kanda is also home to electronics district Akihabara, a huge shrine and dozens of Japanese curry restaurants too.

Sprawling Kanda covers central districts like neon-lit Akihabara, known for its electronics stores, and Jimbocho, filled with bookshops. Students from the area’s many universities pack into bars, noodle shops, and karaoke rooms at night. Shinto shrines are found on quieter backstreets, including the nearly 1,300-year-old Kanda Myojin Shrine, with its crimson gate and altars to ancient gods of good fortune.

Culture, Poetry, Travel, Videos

Poetic Short Films: ‘NELLA MIA CITTÀ (In my city)’ – A Tribute To Venice (Video)

Video Leave a comment

Filmed, Edited and Directed by: Milton Kam

NELLA MIA CITTÀ (In my city) is my visual ode to Venice. The film observes the lagoon city and its residents during the relative scarcity of tourists in its streets. From the lustre of its famous spots to the anonymity of its quiet alleys, Venice feels as if ‘the future did not come,’ to borrow a line from the poem, which the film is based on.

Nella mia città is written by Anna Toscano and was taken from her book Doso la polvere, Milan, La Vita Felice, 2012

With music by Federico Toffano (cello), Liesl Odenweller (soprano), and Ivano Zanenghi (lute).

IN MY CITY by Anna Toscano

The future does not exist
the future does not come
in my city:
however long my step is
however much you have the favor of the wind
the number 2 does not go more than 22 km per hour.
How to get beyond the past
how not to look back
(at this speed)
with your neck always at three quarters:
time stops in piazzale Roma
so we live entangled
in the stories of peoples.
We stand, happy,
in a rearview mirror.

Culture, Travel, Videos, Views

Cultural Views: ‘Sacred Islands’ Of The Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand (Video)

Video Leave a comment

New Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf – Tikapa Moana – is a place of spectacular beauty and home to more than 50 islands. Some barely break the high tide mark, others loom large on the horizon, many are now uninhabited. Local Māori tribes like Ngai Tai Ki Tamaki, who have been here for nearly a thousand years, revere these islands. Each and every island has a story to tell.

The Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has an area of 4000 km², and lies between, in anticlockwise order, the Auckland Region, the Hauraki Plains, the Coromandel Peninsula, and Great Barrier Island. Most of the gulf is part of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park. 

Culinary Arts, Culture, Food, Travel, Videos

Culinary: ‘Traditional German Foods & Dishes’

Video Leave a comment

What do the Germans like to eat, what do traditional German dishes look like and how can you give the classic pork schnitzel a crunchy modern twist? Join Rachel for a delicious German feast, rounded off with the classic “Kaffee und Kuchen.”

Rachel moved from the UK to Germany in 2016. As a relative newcomer she casts a fresh eye over German clichés and shares her experiences of settling into German life. Every two weeks she explores a new topic – from unusual bans to meaty cuisine or haunted castles. This week: what’s on the menu in Germany?

Culture, Landmarks, Landscape, Travel, Videos

Travel: ‘Diverse & Exotic Cultures Of Turkey’ (4K)

Video Leave a comment

The culture of Turkey  combines a heavily diverse and  heterogeneous  set of elements that have been derived from the various cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean (West Asian) and Central Asian region and Eastern European, and Caucasian traditions. Many of these traditions were initially brought together by the Ottoman Empire, a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state.

During the early years of the republic, the government invested a large amount of resources into fine arts such as paintings, sculpture and architecture. This was done as both a process of modernization and of creating a cultural identity.

Architecture, Art, Culture, Travel, Videos, Views

Insider Views: ‘Art And Architecture’ In Beverly Hills, California (Video)

Video Leave a comment

Perched above the buzz of Beverly Hills sits Casa Perfect, a gallery of contemporary design set in a spectacular modernist home. Its founder David Alhadeff shows us the wealth of remarkable art and architecture that is to be found in the varied neighbourhoods of this sunny city. Monocle Films has partnered with Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau to reveal hidden gems through the eyes of local creatives.

Culture, Landmarks, Travel, Videos, Views

Views: ‘Cherry Blossoms’ At The ‘Temple Of Heaven’ In Taipei, Taiwan (Jan 2021)

Video Leave a comment

Cherry blossoms in Taiwan – They blossom in late March to early April, when the weather in the scenic area have shifted from the chilly winter mode to a lovely spring. Among the cities in Taiwan, Taipei is the first to witness the pink of the beauty of the flowers every mid-January and will continue until March.

The 200 meter tall Tian-Yuan Temple, “Temple of Heaven” pagoda, paired with the cherry blossoms that surround it on all sides and on the mountain behind it is what separates this area from all the other sakura viewing spots around the country. The temple has five floors and each floor has a giant shrine dedicated to different Taoist gods. The temple is open year-round but it usually enjoys the most visitors between late February and April when the sakura are in bloom.  

Cities, Culture, Travel, Videos

Travel Guide: Places To Visit In Los Angeles (Video)

Video Leave a comment

Los Angeles might be known for their green juices and yoga but they also have some awesome activities you can take part in on your next vacation. From a stand up paddle boarding yoga class to a calm walk on the Tuna Canyon Trail, get out and explore what Los Angeles has to offer.

Video timeline: 00:00​ Introduction 00:26​ The Original Farmer’s Market 01:24​ Tuna Canyon Trail 02:50​ YogAqua 04:05​ Venice Beach Shopping & Art 04:28​ Kapowui Surfing

Business, Culture, Documentaries, Travel, Videos

Travel & Culture: ‘Chá Gorreana’ Tea Plantation, The Azores, Portugal

Video Leave a comment

There are few parts of Europe that produce tea. The Azores, a Portuguese archipelago, are one of them. Here, tea is cultivated and processed without the use of chemicals. Chá Gorreana, located on the largest of the islands, is Europe’s oldest tea plantation. The family-run business has been producing black and green tea since 1883. DW reporter Hendrik Welling visited the plantation to learn about the fine art of producing Azores tea.

Culture, Travel, Videos

Train Travel: Countryside Around ‘Mt. Fuji, Japan’

Video Leave a comment

Take a trip back in time and trace the paths of past travelers in the post towns and sacred spaces found in the majestic mountains of the Japanese countryside.

Japan’s Mt. Fuji is an active volcano about 100 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. Commonly called “Fuji-san,” it’s the country’s tallest peak, at 3,776 meters. A pilgrimage site for centuries, it’s considered one of Japan’s 3 sacred mountains, and summit hikes remain a popular activity. Its iconic profile is the subject of numerous works of art, notably Edo Period prints by Hokusai and Hiroshige.