Monocle Radio: Asia Pac Unwrapped

Grab a bag of popcorn as we shine a spotlight on film production in Thailand. We also explore a new exhibition in Cambodia that is stoking curiosity in the country’s long history thanks to some rather mysterious burial jars. Plus: we look into the state of economic equality for entrepreneurs in Hong Kong and take an audible tour of Tokyo.

Touching down in Tokyo, we explore the department store scene that also acts as a key destination for Japanese design. Plus: how an innovative approach to education is helping one Cambodian school inspire students, and how to navigate the delicate process of rebranding.

We look to Cambodia, which in recent years has emerged as a very attractive destination for investors, particularly among the Japanese. We also check-in at Melbourne’s Hotel Windsor for the city’s favourite high tea as the luxury icon’s future is still in doubt. Plus: we ask what role architecture plays in creating a cosy home and preview a new television from Samsung that comes complete with a high-end design.

As another crazy week unfolds in the Australian capital, we ask comedian Tom Ballard what’s going on in the nation’s political circus. We’re also in Hong Kong, where high-class tailoring rivals that of the traditional high streets in London. Plus: what’s behind Japan’s intergalactic obsession with ‘Star Wars’?

The burgeoning tourism sector is pushing many airlines in Asia back into profit so we take a look at which other sectors might be feeling the effects. We ask how sought-after is Danish design among discerning Hong Kong shoppers and examine the factors behind up-and-coming neighbourhoods in Seoul. Plus we take a look at the surprisingly stylish and technologically innovative art of keeping goldfish in Tokyo.