Masayoshi Son finds his best possible biographer in Lionel Barber, the former editor of the FT. Barber (Dulwich School and St Edward’s Hall, Oxford ) has elegant establishment credentials, but he also has an entertainingly thuggish streak, like those upper-class SAS army officers who join special units because they rather enjoy the murder and mayhem.

In an era of geopolitical uncertainty, climate urgency, and rapid technological transformation, cross-border energy collaboration has become both a necessity and a challenge. The complexity of aligning national priorities, regulatory environments, and private sector incentives often stalls progress just when acceleration is most needed.

Japanese investment in European infrastructure is on the rise, particularly in clean-tech, smart city development, and sustainable mobility. Yet for European developers, municipalities, and climate-focused startups, partnering with Japanese investors is not as simple as aligning on spreadsheets and pitch decks. It involves understanding distinct business cultures, adjusting timeline expectations, and navigating cross-border complexities.

The global clean energy transition is accelerating—but not at the same pace everywhere. While many regions are still figuring out how to attract the right capital, talent, and technology, Ireland and Wales are quietly positioning themselves as key players in the next phase of green energy investment.

The ground is shifting beneath the feet of foreign executives in Japan. As the yen tumbles to multi-decade lows, the profound cheap yen impact is forcing a complete re-evaluation of every foreign business strategy.

A clear understanding of AI is crucial for businesses aiming to stay competitive. While AI, like Google's Bard (now Gemini), performs "intelligent" functions through algorithms and data, it fundamentally lacks human-like consciousness, self-awareness, or emotions.

"The Reality Test" by Robert Rowland Smith challenges the idea that business is a purely rational pursuit, arguing that corporate strategies are often "fictions" that ignore messy reality. The book encourages leaders to focus on the human and organic side of their organizations, where genuine success is found by understanding the real forces that drive people and the market.

Based on Professor Takeo Hoshi's analysis, Abenomics's "Third Arrow" is a government-led industrial policy, not the deregulation push it's often portrayed as. Its vague goals and lack of concrete metrics distinguish it from Margaret Thatcher's privatization-focused approach, and it appears to prioritize national power over the well-being of individual citizens.

Internet giants are tightening their grip, turning convenience into voluntary surrender of liberty. Tech companiesgather immense data, potentially leading to mindless dependency and even government surveillance. This alliancethreatens personal freedom and could result in a future where corporations wield totalitarian power, making us, the users, paradoxically dumber.

The Yasukuni Shrine sparks contention, notably due to enshrined war criminals like Hideki Tojo. The Tokyo War Trials had ambiguities; convictions were often based on vague charges, and figures like Emperor Hirohito were never prosecuted. Some involved in Unit 731 even gained immunity. Despite these complexities, Japan benefited immensely from its post-war "Peace Constitution," becoming "the luckiest nation." Abandoning this advantageous pacifist role for global conflicts would be "lunacy." The Tokyo Trials' legacy shapes Japan's present and future.

The recent steep fall in the stock market is, to me, merely a symptom of a deeper malaise, reflecting the inadequacies of Japan's elite. Japan's current leaders aspire to make the nation "normal," yet they stubbornly employ outdated and discredited methods. This approach fundamentally ignores the fact that Japan's Uniqueness is precisely what makes it exceptional and resilient. Indeed, the current state of so-called 'normal' nations hardly serves as an appealing benchmark.