Back to the Future: Japan and the World Depression
Early one snowy morning in February 1936, a group of fanatical army officers staged a coup d’etat in central Tokyo
Thoreau in Hokkaido
Tancho cranes have successfully marketed themselves as Japanese icons to rank with Mount Fuji, sushi and Hello Kitty…
Fishy Business
The man behind the counter preparing his food was the god-like Jiro Ono, creator of the Jiro-nigiri sushi style.
Lucifer Rising in the Eurozone
Crowley died a penniless heroin addict, but it could be argued that today’s world is more congruent with his thinking than that of Marx, Mill or any of the great religious leaders.
Reflating Japan
The triple disasters of March 2011 – earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear contamination – offered a stark depiction of Japan’s strengths and weaknesses to the world and perhaps to the Japanese themselves.
Erotic Investment: Snowball vs. Goldfinger
“Would you rather be the world’s best lover but have everyone think you’re the world’s worst? Or would you rather be the world’s worst…”
I am a Digital Cat: A Japanese Future
Here is a manga about Japan’s future written by me and illustrated by the eminent manga artist Toshio Ban, a disciple and former assistant of “the god of manga” Osamu Tezuka. The piece was originally intended for McKinsey’s Reimagining Japan book, but relegated to the webiste at the last minute in the wake of the 3/11 disasters.
Christmas In Havana
In Havana’s Plaza Vieja (old square), a pavement artist produces a sketch of me containing two features that are purely imaginary. One is a nose long enough to stir a mojito; the other is a hat-band proclaiming “Cuba Must Survive.”
Olympus The Movie
If Hollywood were making the movie, the imminent confrontation between Michael Woodford, the former CEO of Olympus, and the directors who…
Going Back To Tohoku
I scan my memory, jumbled and blurred by hangover, jetlag, lifelag. Got it – he’s a media figure, fronts up current affairs programs, TV and radio. A real pro, and a nice guy too. “You’re looking well,” I respond.