by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Tokyo Tidbit: Yakuza Undergarments
The undergarment of the guys in the photo of “Yakuza: We Have to Evolve Our Business Model” (below) is a fundoshi, the traditional Japanese undergarment for men. Nowadays, it’s mainly used during festivals to show off machismo—to gird their loins for….
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on In the Bowels the Jobs Report: 15.4 Million Missing Jobs
The long-term problem in the horrendous jobs report is the strangely inconspicuous “Employment-Population Ratio” that has been nosediving for over a decade. It’s the definition of a comatose economy.
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Yakuza: ‘We Have To Evolve Our Business Model’
“And we have to improve our image,” said Masatoshi Kumagai, one of the bosses of the Japanese yakuza, in an interview with French reporters. Yakuza are on decline, he said, and if they don’t change their business model, they might cease to exist.
by Wolf Richter • • Comments Off on Tokyo Tidbit: Disaster Specials
An earthquake struck Tokyo around noon on September 1, 1923, while people were cooking lunch over open fires: Over 100,000 people burned to death in the city “built of wood and paper.” Now, September 1 is “Disaster Prevention Day.” And it’s time to go shopping for foldable helmets.
