Well, 2024 started off on the wrong foot! Not only was there a large and serious earthquake, it seems the government bungled the response somewhat by not taking it seriously enough at first.
I hope everyone affected can get the help they need soon to get back on their feet.
The main thing on my radar is the launch of this year’s Your First Ten Million Yen course this week. Last chance to sign up for the waiting list here if you are interested in taking the course in February.
YouTube
Thank you for your support of the RetireJapan YouTube channel. We made incredible progress last year, and it was largely down to your help and support.
This week we published a video about how much money it would take to change your life. Regular viewers will not be surprised at my take.
The Forum
The Forum is doing well (32,058 posts so far). The forum rules are here. In essense, they are:
- Be nice
- Ask any question you like
- Only answer questions when you have relevant knowledge or experience
Here are the latest active threads:
This week’s books
I’ve been reading the Magician series, by Raymond E. Feist, this week. I’m sure I have read it before, but I can’t remember when…
It’s a good story, somewhat derivative (he actually put the Mines of Moria into it, albeit with a different name) but very readable. Recommend if you want a lightweight fantasy series to take you away from daily life for a few hours.
This week’s links
- Interesting overview: All About Working Visas for Hiring Foreigners Full-time in Japan
- I like this distinction from Seth Godin: Two Hats for Productivity
- 8 billion… The world’s population was up 75 million this year, will stand at 8 billion on Jan. 1
- About 30,000 yen, eh? Japan household budget burdens to rise by $200 per person in 2024: estimate
- This is horrendous and I’m glad it’s getting more attention now: How host clubs get their claws into young female customers … and their own employees
- I really enjoy Paul’s breakdowns (YouTube): Plaza – Japan’s top “Character Goods” retailer
- I think #10 is pretty unlikely: Japan Surprises 2024
- Amazing income increases in here: Capital means
- Interest rates in Japan remain opaque: Market Misreads Services Inflation And the BOJ
- And of course Derek is better at making resolutions than I am: 2024 resolutions
- I really like Coast FIRE as a concept: Coasting to Retirement with a Margin of Safety
- I’m a big fan of donating to charity regularly, so here are five Japanese charities (donations are tax deductible using the same allowance as furusato nozei): Five Amazing Japanese Charities
- This was kind of interesting (thanks to Our Man in Abiko for the link). I guess RetireJapan is part of the microculture: In 2024, the Tension Between Macroculture and Microculture Will Turn into War
- Plus ca change! Weekend reading: Bitcoin is still bonkers
- I find finance much easier than health: There’s No Ozempic For Financial Decisions
- Hard to keep in mind every day: Respect Each Others’ Delusions
What do you think? Anything interesting in there?
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#2 appears to be a dead link
Thanks! Not sure what happened there -should be fixed now 🙂
#16 – “everyone is deluded in their own unique way”
“I think we’re all bozos on this bus.” (’71, Firesign Theatre)
The first 3 books in the Magician series are very good – loved them growing up. After that it’s mostly uninspiring spin-offs, except for the ‘Empire’ series – which is also decent – the world building clearly based on Feudal Japan.