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.
New Lessons From Japan
“When my mother was 10, she was evacuated to Sendai and saw the whole town get bombed flat. My father experienced the big air-raids on Yokohama. Their generation started out when there was nothing left of Japan but smoking ruins. Don’t worry about us – we’ll definitely recover this time too.”
The Day Of The Quake : The Catfish Breaks Free
Long-term residents of Tokyo tend to be blasé about earthquakes, but this one felt different right from the start. It announced itself with a thunderous jolt
When China Hits a Bric Wall
Who has survived the global credit crisis in the best shape? As Chou En Lai said about the impact of the French Revolution, it’s still too early to judge. The snap verdict that China is the big winner and the US and rest of the old G7 are big losers is already looking questionable.
What The World Cup Tells Us About The World Economy
Serious sport, according to George Orwell, is war minus the shooting. In the words of Bill Shankly, legendary manager of Liverpool F.C., football is not a matter of life and death; it’s much more important than that.