“When the referee signals the start of the match, they rush toward each other and collide with the same force that a person might absorb after falling from a height of two or three stories.” @viajoshhunt.bsky.social reports on the cultural politics of sumo wrestling.

“Decades of Mongolian dominance have revealed a peculiar strain of ethno-nationalism among sumo fans, one defined less by an explicitly nativist derision of foreign-born rikishi than by an enthusiasm for Japanese-born yokozuna that sometimes feels a bit too unbound.” — @viajoshhunt.bsky.social

I also wrote about some other plus-size gentlemen for the March issue of Harper’s: harpers.org:2053/archive/2026...

For the March issue of GQ I wrote about my nine months—and counting—on Ozempic. www.gq.com/story/what-o...

Joshua Hunt (@viajoshhunt.bsky.social) reports from Japan on the cultural politics of Sumo wrestling. harpers.org/archive/2026...

If you were hoping to catch the Melania premiere via matinee this Friday at the AMC in Vero Beach, Florida — I am so sorry, but that particular showing is one of two that’s sold out among more than 1,300 analyzed by @wired.com

This colossal Times of London/de Blasio screwup gets more amazing at every turn. Scoop via @maxtani.bsky.social www.semafor.com/article/10/2...

For Businessweek’s November issue, I have a feature about the high-fee premium credit card war being waged by American Express and Chase for the hearts, minds, and swipes of America’s affluent supershoppers. Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

Among the endless fire hose of news, there was an interesting nugget buried in Mayor Keith Wilson's statement today. The city of Portland is considering taking over the lease of the ICE facility and the city said it has no intention of being ICE's landlord.

"But never before has a US president asserted the authority to order the cold-blooded execution of civilians outside any even arguable military conflict. And never before has a US president then turned around and boasted about his own crimes to the public at large." www.nybooks.com/articles/202...

Several journalists resigned this week from three newspapers in Alaska after the publications’ corporate owner made significant edits to an article about Charlie Kirk’s death, after pressure from a Republican state lawmaker who had criticized the coverage.

There are 10,000 manga artists working in Japan today. The extraordinary success of "Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle" is due to Shonen Jump's knack for spotting talent. Its success abroad is due to a more singular factor. We're all otaku now. blog.pureinventionbook.com/p/dollars-an...

Aug. 26: Stephen Miller says "the Democrat Party is not a political party. It is a domestic extremist organization." Sept. 25: Miller put in charge of coordinating a federal campaign to prosecute "domestic terrorist organizations."

Jesus

For the October issue of @gqmagazine.bsky.social, I went to Beverly Hills to spend time with the manosphere's favorite plastic surgeon, who helped me make sense of how podcasts dictate male beauty standards and why Joe Rogan is Goop for guys. Read it here: www.gq.com/story/how-po...

Always read Katy Waldman! The New Yorker's most reliably interesting critic.

For the October issue of @gqmagazine.bsky.social, I went to Beverly Hills to spend time with the manosphere's favorite plastic surgeon, who helped me make sense of how podcasts dictate male beauty standards and why Joe Rogan is Goop for guys. Read it here: www.gq.com/story/how-po...

An @nytimes investigation finds staggering levels of insider dealing: The Trump administration confers benefits on the UAE (despite security concerns) as the UAE confers riches on the Trump family. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/u...

Pure speculation but I wouldn't be surprised if Trump sent the FBI after John Bolton because he learned this story was coming and suspects his former national security director is the one who brought it to the New York Times. Hence searching his home for classified documents.

“It’s almost impressive how incorrect he’s able to be about an article he’s looking directly at… It’s also an incredible example of how climate misinformation sneaks into extremely popular media and then gets absorbed into the brains of millions of Americans.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...

This story about a failed SEAL Team 6 operation in North Korea is fucking nuts. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/u...

This is a great dive: by turns technical and cultural, with a nice arc about how Americans struggled to comprehend, let alone localize, anime for Western audiences.

For The New York Times Magazine I wrote about How Anime Took Over America. (Gift link). www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

For The New York Times Magazine I wrote about How Anime Took Over America. (Gift link). www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Kennedy Curse Sure Taking Its Sweet Time With RFK Jr.

I went on @marketplace.org to talk about my @businessweektr.bsky.social feature on Japanese zipper giant YKK. www.marketplace.org/story/2025/0...

Canadian billionaire Kevin O’Leary thinks he should be entitled to a meeting with Zohran Mamdani

“In contrast to Americans, who profess belief in principles they don’t adhere to, Japanese people often claim not to believe in the Shinto and Buddhist rituals they practice.” —from “Mount Fear Diary,” an essay by @viajoshhunt.bsky.social www.thebeliever.net/mount-fear-d...

Reaaaaally love this Businessweek story from @viajoshhunt.bsky.social about the world’s largest zipper-maker, YKK, which is totally fascinating in too many ways to enumerate in a post. Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/features/202...

The world’s largest zipper manufacturer has spent decades mastering the global supply chain. Now it has to weather the Trump-tariff era.

A great deep dive in a genre I love–how supply chains explain the world—about YKK, whose products you almost certainly own even if you don't know it. By @viajoshhunt.bsky.social

"Free Press" means becoming part of a company that paid off an administration attempting to stifle the free press www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/b...

The cop yelling about how it’s all your fault after the cops shot you in the head. Really sums it up.

a friend just sent me this great 2023 GQ article by @viajoshhunt.bsky.social (in pdx no less) about the death of Italian bespoke tailoring. Good read. Sad - but also, a death of their own making in a lot of ways. #sewing getpocket.com/explore/item...

chat, is there anything in christianity about forgiving the people who killed your son

NEW: In an unprecedented move, Nintendo has pushed preorders for its highly-anticipated Switch 2 to an unknown date. Why? Trump's tariffs.

When Social Security declared him dead and his Medicare was canceled, his credit score was also marked “deceased, do not issue credit,” and set to zero. “The good news is I don’t think it can go any lower than that,” he said. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

Saddened to learn that Jaune Quick-to-See Smith has died. I was lucky enough to spend time with her a few years ago and write about her life and her art. We won't see the likes of her again. www.vulture.com/article/jaun...

NEW: Federal immigration officials launched their first high-profile raids in NYC under President Donald Trump. A motorcade of heavily militarized federal agents converged at the parking lot of the Bronx Terminal Market in the pre-dawn hours Tuesday morning.

I wrote about Jesse James, Luigi Mangione and the assassination of Shinzo Abe for The New York Times Magazine. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/15/m...

When I'm back in the U.S. I always go through my storage space and find stuff I don't use and don't need. This time: A like-new Sony PCM-D10 audio recorder (retail $495) that I'd be happy to let go for $175 shipped if any radio or podcast folks out there are interested. transom.org/2019/sony-pc...

This is fascinating. “Williams is part of a larger cold war, radical vs. radical, that’s stayed mostly in the shadows. A left-wing activist told me he personally knows about 30 people who’ve gone undercover in militias or white supremacist groups.”

hey hey, are you having a great friday?

@hamrahrama.bsky.social's 25 best movies of 2024! www.nplusonemag.com/online-only/...

Philip Jeck: 'rpm' out now. "This record is an extraordinary gift, grand on every level." philipjeck.bandcamp.com/album/rpm