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Jonathan DeHart

Writer focused on travel, culture and society in Asia

Location icon Japan

Jonathan DeHart is a Tokyo-based writer focused on travel, culture and society in Asia. He has written more than 500 articles for a number of publications, including The Diplomat, Motherboard (Vice), The Ritz-Carlton Magazine, Kyoto Journal and MarketWatch, among others. His work has been selected for various "best of"​ lists by The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, Foreign Policy and Real Clear World. In addition to writing, he has worked as an editor for webzines, including The Diplomat, newswires and a monthly print magazine. Besides journalism, he interprets trends in Asia for leading behavioral insights and cultural consulting agencies. He is also the author of a first-edition Japan guidebook for a US-based publisher slated for publication in Winter 2020.

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Portfolio

Cultural Commentary (Asia-wide)

Kyoto Journal
07/01/2014
Pop, Politics and Modern Asia

Asia has a long way to go in addressing its past and present political baggage. A more progressive spirit in the region’s popular culture could help change the conversation.

The Diplomat
05/20/2013
Buddhism Today, East and West

While the Buddha’s message is alive in the East, in the West some say it has been scrambled.

Japan

The Ritz-Carlton Magazine
04/01/2017
Islands Apart

Weary of the concrete jungle, residents across Japan flock to the subtropical Okinawa Prefecture, where the laid-back locals and distinct culture weave a spell of their own.

The Diplomat
02/22/2013
Donald Richie: 1924-2013

Donald Richie, American writer on Japan, mentor and humanist, has died at 88.

East Asia (China, the Koreas, Mongolia)

The Diplomat
05/23/2013
Hong Kong: Asia's New Art Capital?

With the city’s first Art Basel event, Hong Kong is cementing its status as one of the world’s leading art centers.

Global Times
10/13/2010
Good Vibrations

Sex toys and social change in Shanghai.

Southeast Asia

The Diplomat
09/02/2016
Painting the Bangkok Night

An interview with American artist Chris Coles on his watercolor visions of Bangkok’s seedy side.

South Asia

The Diplomat
07/18/2013
Why Did the Taliban Shoot Malala?

A senior Taliban official has written a letter to Malala Yousafzai, offering a glimpse into the group’s hidden fears.

The Diplomat
06/10/2013
Saving the Buddhas of Mes Aynak

In a race against time, archaeologists are working to save a Buddhist site of immense significance in Afghanistan, slated for imminent destruction by a Chinese mining firm.

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