Editor's Choice: Hong Kong fire and the role of visual journalism

Hello from Tokyo. Last week, a massive fire broke out in a high-rise residential complex in Hong Kong, resulting in a tragedy that claimed more than 150 lives. I visited Hong Kong three times this year for business. The social, political and economic impact of a large fire in this iconic city, where skyscrapers stand shoulder to shoulder, is immeasurable.

Nikkei Asia has continued to provide detailed updates on the fire since it occurred, led by our Hong Kong-based staff writer, and has also published an explainer investigating the cause of the blaze. To support this outstanding reporting, our photo editor team played a vital role in delivering visual journalism.

These photographs vividly capture the tragedy that unfolded in Hong Kong: buildings engulfed in flames, the anguished voices of its citizens, firefighters battling the inferno and the crowds encouraging them. Truly, a picture is worth a thousand words. During the same period as the Hong Kong fire, severe flooding struck Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. These natural disasters were extensively covered by Nikkei Asia through numerous related articles and compelling visual reports.

At Nikkei Asia, every Friday on our homepage we publish a weekly visual feature called Through the Lens, which looks at major events that have happened over the week in Asia using images. In addition to pictures taken by our photographers, our photo editors carefully curate visuals from news agencies to deliver meaningful content. It is a powerful way to experience the visual storytelling and impactful photojournalism offered by Nikkei Asia.

As 2025, a year marked by numerous major news events in Asia, draws to a close, we want to know your thoughts on what’s ahead for Asia in 2026 for an upcoming Big in Asia feature. Please contribute to our New Year’s survey, which will be open until Dec. 8.

My suggested reads

1. This week’s Big in Asia is about how Tokyo’s Shibuya district is undergoing a $13 billion “once-in-a-century” makeover, turning its chaotic streets into a stitched-together “walkable city” of skyways connecting plazas and towers. It’s a huge engineering feat — tracks and platforms have been moved and a station shifted — that has been in progress for more than two decades and, after several delays, is set for completion in 2034. Admirers call it a rebirth; critics fear a soulless monoculture. And with Japan’s population shrinking, a larger question looms: Can megaprojects like Shibuya still thrive, and at what cultural cost?

2. K-pop fans have come up with the ultimate measure to support their favorite artists: owning shares of South Korean entertainment agencies affiliated with their idols. This week’s Trading Asia looks at how this phenomenon in turn has exposed fans to the very volatile nature of such stocks. Recently, shares in these agencies plunged after JYP Entertainment founder Jin Young Park met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The encounter did not lead to an opening up of the Chinese market for K-pop — a major disappointment for investors.

3. Thai Beverage, the company behind Chang beer and Southeast Asia’s largest drinks maker, is diversifying its business portfolio as its core beer and spirits products face multiple headwinds — from slowing tourism to tighter regulation and changing alcohol consumption habits. Our Bangkok reporter looks into how ThaiBev now aims to expand its dairy business as part of plans to bring Muslim-friendly products made in Malaysia to other halal markets, such as Indonesia.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Akito Tanaka

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