East Asia

Korea's Godfather of Rock Shin Joong-hyun got his start as a teenage guitarist at the Yongsan Garrison in Seoul. Now the US military base is closing.

The US military's Yongsan Garrison leaves a mixed legacy in Seoul

The US military is closing its Yongsan military base in the South Korean capital. For people who grew up around the base, it was where they learned about American music, culture and food. But it's also leaving behind environmental problems.

The US military's Yongsan Garrison leaves a mixed legacy in Seoul
Sook Ei and George Lampman met at the US embassy in Seoul in the months before the start of the Korean War.

They got married in Seoul and a week later, China invaded

They got married in Seoul and a week later, China invaded
Students from the Daum School on a field trip with their teacher. Their faces are blurred to protect their privacy. Many North Korean refugees have trouble adjusting to life in fast-paced South Korea, especially at school.

North Korean students learn to deal with trauma at this Seoul school

North Korean students learn to deal with trauma at this Seoul school
Lee Chang-hoo (l) and Kwon Soon-chul (r) started a baseball podcast, along with another visually impaired baseball fan. But they don't tell their listeners that they're blind. "They probably think we're just average, amateur sports fans."

The pace of baseball makes it perfect for its blind fans in Korea

The pace of baseball makes it perfect for its blind fans in Korea
Bart (l) -- aka Kyaw Moe Khine -- with his street art crew ROAR. Bart says battling with teachers over his art work helped develop his rebellious streak.

A Burmese atheist who takes inspiration from George Carlin and Bart Simpson

A Burmese atheist who takes inspiration from George Carlin and Bart Simpson
A shopper is seen at a drug store in Tokyo. Chances are that this store will play Auld Lang Syne to alert shoppers that it's closing time.

Why do Japanese stores play Auld Lang Syne when they close? The answer won't shock or amaze you

If you're an American used to hearing Auld Lang Syne only on New Year’s Eve, you might wonder why stores across Japan use the song to signal closing time. The reason is not as strange as you might think.

Why do Japanese stores play Auld Lang Syne when they close? The answer won't shock or amaze you
This is a patched work coat, or noragi, that likely never began as a full garment, but was rather made from multiple, very small patches — some of them the size of a postage stamp — that were all sewn together to create an area of cloth, and then layered.

Some Japanese will pay $4,500 for an old Missouri prisoner uniform. Me, I collect Japanese 'boro'

Why Japanese love America's castoff workwear and why some Americans feel the same way about Japanese wear.

Some Japanese will pay $4,500 for an old Missouri prisoner uniform. Me, I collect Japanese 'boro'