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SCMP

We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. Where did Tokyo restaurant Sézanne’s 3 Michelin stars go?
Tokyo’s Sézanne restaurant, which once held the No 1 spot on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, has been quietly stripped of its three Michelin stars ahead of the guide’s next update in autumn 2026. The change follows the high-profile departure of its opening chef, Daniel Calvert, in April, leaving his replacement, Stephen Lancaster, to start from scratch.
2. This Hong Kong executive lost 32kg in just 8 months. How did he do it?

At 25, Keizer Cheng was living a typical life as a young Hong Kong professional: working long hours with relentless deadlines and the constant hum of pressure. On paper, he was a successful executive. In reality, his body was buckling under the weight of his choices.
3. What to do in Furano, a little-known summer haven on Japan’s Hokkaido island

The Japanese island of Hokkaido is best known to people outside Japan as a winter destination full of powdery ski slopes. But it is also the perfect getaway in the warmer months. One spot in particular, overflowing with idyllic backdrops and great food, has long flown under the radar of international travellers.
4. How this 68-year-old Hong Kong man overcame ‘end-stage’ knee arthritis

A diagnosis of “end-stage” osteoarthritis usually signals the termination of an active life: the end of mobility, the inevitability of surgery and the narrowing of life’s possibilities. But Reynaldo Espineli was not going to let it slow him down.
5. Optimistic people live longer but how to be more positive? An expert gives tips
Three years ago, Dr Deepika Chopra was just months into writing a book about optimism when she found herself confronting a crisis that threatened to dismantle everything she thought she understood about hope.
6. Prawn toast as a Scottish egg? How UK chefs are reinventing a Cantonese classic

British chefs are in the midst of a love affair with Cantonese prawn toast as the dish appears on tables across the country, spanning fine-dining hotspots, chef’s counters and street food markets.
7. How the Young and Dangerous films of the 1990s made triad gangsters sexy

Starring Ekin Cheng Yee-kin and Jordan Chan Siu-chun as glamorous and trendy triad members navigating the Hong Kong criminal underworld, the Young and Dangerous series of films were smash hits between 1996 and 2000.


Tokyo Sézanne’s missing stars; Hongkonger shed 32kg in 8 months: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Chinese carmakers race Tesla on humanoid robots; BYD launches ‘God’s Eye’: 7 EV reads

Philippines’ deadly quake, India’s rise in critical minerals: 7 Asia highlights

China turns African port into tourist spot, students rethink Hong Kong: 5 weekend reads

SCMP Highlights

Sézanne at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, Japan. The restaurant has been quietly stripped of its three Michelin stars. Photo: Sézanne

Hong Kong executive Keizer Cheng in August 2024 (left) and in March 2025 after losing 32kg and trimming his body fat to 12.5 per cent. His fitness journey included a structured fitness programme and a new approach to eating. Photo: onepersonaltraininghk.com

Tourists stroll through lavender fields at Tomita Farm, one of the most colourful spots in Furano. The city in central Hokkaido comes into its own during summer, when it offers visitors the chance to enjoy its natural beauty and delicious local produce in temperate weather. Photo: Kyodo News via Getty Images

Espineli says his life has always been shaped by discipline and movement. Photo: Jonathan Wong

The classic prawn toast at Cafe Kowloon in London comes covered in sesame seeds. Chefs around the UK are now experimenting with the dish. Photo: Cafe Kowloon

(From left) Jordan Chan, Michael Tse, Ekin Cheng and Jason Chu in a still from Young and Dangerous (1996). Jerry Lamb also stars. Photo: Golden Harvest

Sharla Cheung’s film career, rise and fall of Hong Kong comics: 7 Lifestyle highlights

Lisa He with her mother Sophie at their family restaurant, China Star. The Edinburgh takeaway is months away from closure, but He’s viral social media post has brought lots of attention, and hope. Photo: courtesy of Lisa He

Sharla Cheung Man in a still from the Ming dynasty wuxia drama Swordsman (1990). Photo: Fortune Star Media

Various comics from the The King of Fighters 96 series, a popular Hong Kong comic from the 1990s. Photo: Elvis Yeung

Betania Victor runs the Long Beach Marathon in California in 2023. Before going cold turkey on cigarettes, Victor smoked a pack a day. Photo: Instagram/betaniayvr

Kaja Chan, born and raised in Hong Kong, is a London-based actress across theatre, television and video games. She talks about how her passion led her to pursue a career in acting and shares advice to young performers who want to follow in her footsteps. Photo: Phil Sharp

A pile of minerals extracted from a rare-earth mine. Photo: Shutterstock


North Korean leader Kim Jong-un congratulates the football players who won the AFC Under-17 Women’s Asian Cup in Pyongyang on Monday. Photo: KCNA/KNS/AFP

Yili, a RedNote content creator from China, says she is seeing “more and more Chinese bosses” in Malaysia. Photo: RedNote/Yili

A boat carrying Rohingya migrants is detained in Malaysian waters off Langkawi, in 2020. Photo: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency/AP

Trump urged Xi to help end Ukraine war; China’s tech sanctions list: SCMP’s 7 highlights

President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump in Beijing on May 15. Photo: AFP


Hong Kong authorities have confirmed that baby Danny is the son of the “Save Lily” couple. Photo: Handout

Chutou, above, had more than a million followers on mainland social media. Photo: Douyin

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Health & Wellness

Arts

Chinese culture

Entertainment

Travel & Leisure

From a little-known haven on Hokkaido island to how optimism make you live longer, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting


From a little-known haven on Hokkaido island to how optimism make you live longer, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting.


Britain

Japan

Hong Kong

Tokyo

Tokyo Sézanne’s missing stars; Hongkonger shed 32kg in 8 months: 7 Lifestyle highlights

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From a little-known haven on Hokkaido island to how optimism make you live longer, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting

1. Where did Tokyo restaurant Sézanne’s 3 Michelin stars go?

2. This Hong Kong executive lost 32kg in just 8 months. How did he do it?

From a little-known haven on Hokkaido island to how optimism make you live longer, here are seven stories from SCMP’s recent reporting