Why are Brazilians splashing on beauty services when they’re skint? What’s got them bringing the bar into the home? And why are family dynamics changing so drastically? This Cultural Snapshot uses local statistics and case studies to explore behavioural norms shared by Brazilians in 2016.

With Haruki Murakami at its centre, Japanese fiction is booming overseas. The literary journal Monkey Business: New Writing from Japan is proof that the acclaimed writer is part of a lush literary landscape. Could the nation’s novels be an overlooked piece of the ‘Cool Japan’ puzzle?

‘I’m glad to be Japanese!’ It’s a thought that two-thirds of Japanese people have had. But with nationalism’s long, sordid history in the country, some debate whether it can be taken too far. With a recent spike in patriotism in Japan's popular culture, how is it translating to the rest of the world?

Japan is one of the least ethnically diverse countries in the world. And it sees itself as entirely homogeneous – even if it isn't. So when Ariana Miyamoto – who's part African-American, part Japanese – was crowned Miss Universe Japan, it forced the country to think about its true identity.