Babies born in China in 2015 (the Year of the Sheep) are thought to be unlucky. So unlucky that thousands of mums rushed to have a baby in the more favourable Year of the Horse. Superstitions still hold fast in rapidly modernising China. How can international brands avoid making cultural mistakes?

With long work hours, low pay and the prospect of supporting an ageing society, Japan’s Gen Yers are under pressure, with this group feeling far more pessimistic about the future than those in other countries. And their negative outlook means they’re taking precautions for the future.

Blessing ceremonies? Power stones? Cultivating one’skienergy? Gen Yers in Japan aren't just embracing these things – a growing number are spending on them, too. Amid economic turmoil and rampant Americanisation, young Japan is turning to religion for both their personal and national identities.

Every culture has rituals that can help people in mourning, but sometimes tragedy occurs on such a large scale that the old customs don’t cut it. In Japan, over 10,000 people have visited a phone booth in the town of Otsuchi, where they can ‘talk to’ loved ones killed in the 2011 earthquake.