Japan’s love for Chinese noodles; AI’s Year of the Horse forecasts: 7 Lifestyle highlights

SCMP | Jan. 29, 2026, 2:30 a.m. | Original
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Tantanmen noodles at Szechuan Tantanmen Aun in Tokyo. The noodle dish, which has its roots in China’s Sichuan province, is found on many menus in Japan, but how did it become so popular in a country known for food with light flavours? Photo: Phoebe Amoroso

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 .

It seems an unlikely match. Japanese cuisine traditionally venerates light, clean flavours and the essence of each ingredient. So how did the country end up having such a spicy love affair with the dish?

2. Is the Year of the Snake’s 12th month lucky for you? Forecasts for all signs

How’s your luck in the Year of the Snake’s 12th month? Feng shui master Andrew Kwan gives his predictions for all 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs. Photo: Shutterstock
How’s your luck in the Year of the Snake’s 12th month? Feng shui master Andrew Kwan gives his predictions for all 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs. Photo: Shutterstock

What do the stars have in store for each of the 12 zodiac animal signs in the last month of the Year of the Snake?

3. 3 of Hong Kong martial arts legend Alexander Fu Sheng’s more unusual movies

Alexander Fu Sheng in a still from Chinatown Kid (1977), one of the films that saw the Hong Kong martial arts star take on projects outside his usual Shaolin kung fu genre.
Alexander Fu Sheng in a still from Chinatown Kid (1977), one of the films that saw the Hong Kong martial arts star take on projects outside his usual Shaolin kung fu genre.

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