Does that qualify you for a special award?

Why Everyone Loves Japan open.substack.com/pub/noahpini... High praise for Japan and a decent attempt to explain its surging popularity around the world. I particularly liked his insight that foreigners prefer Japan’s cities to its countryside - and why that might be. Highly recommended.

So desperate was Ishiba to lower Trump’s 25% tariffs to 15%…that he signed on to an incredible surrender regarding Tokyo’s promise for the government to invest $550 billion in the US.” Excoriating and alarming analysis from Richard Katz . open.substack.com/pub/richardk...

Highly relevant to Auckland’s housing situation…

Quite a list….

A powerful piece about where Orbanism and Trumpism lead - to elite wealth, kleptocracy and national poverty.

Weird, crazy and bad for everybody. This will hurt the US economy in the short run, but frustratingly for the rest of the world, given the massive size of its market the US will be able to manage the damage better than most. We all lose, but most of us will lose more than the US.

“Trump’s famed unpredictability is likely to force Japan and South Korea to explore other relationships as a hedge against US unreliability…with other aligned nations…or even some degree of accommodation with China.” www.asiamediacentre.org.nz//trump-2-0-s...

In the last week Japan has had snow, 27 degree summer weather, massive forest fires - and a wave of yellow dust from China.

New poster at a Tokyo station: “Keep our faces up. Let’s stop looking at mobile phones while walking”.

The FT has some of the best writers in English media. Here is the marvellous Simon Kyler on the “new geopolitical food chain”.

My preview of Trump's meeting today with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba:

“Yoon has demonstrably failed to provide the sort of leadership the country needs. He shows no sign of understanding the essential give and take that democratic politics demands…and has slipped all too easily into the language of power and hierarchy.” My analysis for Asia Media Centre today.

BBC seem to have this wrong. Yoon has been taken into custody but not (yet) arrested. Authorities have 48 hours in which to decide whether or not to do so.

What's up with long-term interest rates? Maybe it's the madness of Trump 2.0 open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...

“it appears that the democratic process is prevailing over a dangerous if ham-fisted attempt at overturning it – but also that Korea retains some disturbing elements of its former authoritarian culture that are proving hard to shake off”. www.asiamediacentre.org.nz//yoon-suk-ye...

The head of South Korea's ruling conservative party appears to have just abandoned Yoon Suk Yeol. He now seemingly will support Yoon's impeachment.

Late (but also early, bc I'm at the airport) to this discussion about why Silicon Valley turned right. I appreciate Henry's discussion of ideologies, but I think a lot of it boils down to a simple thing (with his story): the pettiness of plutocrats 1/ www.programmablemutter.com/p/why-did-si...

Tragic and shocking to see the events in Seoul overnight. Yoon’s behaviour is inexcusable and inexplicable. But heartening to see such a rapid and strong response from Koreans. Their democracy is firmly rooted.

Student in my university class today excused his absence on the grounds that he “overslept”. The class started at 1pm. 🙄😂

Impressively tough and considered response from Mexican President to Trump’s tariff threat. x.com/ishaantharoo...

For good reason, South Korea feels more at risk from Trump 2.0 than others in Asia - but has some strong defences. www.asiamediacentre.org.nz//south-korea...