TV Tokyo came to Kuching in March to shoot a documentary of a Japanese living in Kuching. This person, Madam Sakai who was originally from Osaka, has been residing in this capital city of Sarawak for more than thirty years. Kazuya Sakusabe who led a 2-man crew also went on location shoot at the various places of interest in Kuching during the four-day trip . The storyboard revolves around Mdm. Sakai's daily life and how she handles local cu...

The northern region of Sarawak is home to the 'Orang Ulu' tribe; a collective name to represent the various ethnic sub-groups. They include the Kelabits, the Lun Bawang, the Berawans and the shy and semi-nomadic Penans. In the region above Kapit and the Pelagus Rapids, the Orang Ulu people literally known as "upriver people", consists of the Kayans, Kenyahs, Kajangs, Lahanans and the Punans. The Kayan sub-group forms the largest among them. ...

Chinese forms the second largest group of Sarawak's population after the main Iban tribe. "Chinese pioneers first came to Sarawak as traders and explorers in the 6th century.  The Sarawak Chinese belong to a wide range of dialect groups, the more significant ones being Foochow, Hakka, Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese, and Puxian Min." (wikipedia) In Kuching Main Bazaar, opposite the Waterfront, is the oldest street in the city and the hea...

The Malay forms the third largest group of people in Sarawak, after the Iban and Chinese. In Kuching, the Malay Kampungs (villages) along the riverside next to Fort Margherita have some beautiful examples of traditional and modern Malay architecture. There are some more superb Malay houses around Jalan Datuk Ajibah Abol, behind the Kuching Mosque. Both these areas are particularly noteworthy as they are self-contained, intact communities e...

Bidayuh is a collective name for several indigenous groups of  people living the southern part of Sarawak. They are noted for their hospitality and warm smiles. The name "Bidayuh" means "people of the land". "Bi" mean "people" or "orang" and "Dayuh" mean "Land".  They are also known as the Land Dayaks, a term first used during the time of James Brooke, the first White Rajah (king) of Sarawak.  Bidayuh costumes in the trade mark...

The Iban Heartland Iban claims the largest population, thus making this language the most widely used in Sarawak. The Iban, formerly known as Sea Dayaks, are famous for their head-hunting past, their massive ironwood longhouses, their ornate body tattooing, their wonderful weaving skills, and of course their potent rice wine, tuak, which is always offered to visitors.   It is almost a crime to come to Sarawak without visiting an ...