The Monday Read: Starting to feel like summer

Enjoying all seasons

There is a bible verse I really like (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). It’s the ‘there is a time for everything’ one.

I’m not in the slightest bit religious, but I do appreciate a good bit of writing. And that one has a lot of wisdom packed into a few lines.

From the benefit of focusing on the most important thing right now, to the wisdom of knowing that something will pass, to the joy of appreciating different aspects of life.

I feel like, after 24 years, I have kind of made my peace with the Japanese climate. I enjoy winter. Spring is okay (very windy and the pollen kills me). Summer is now bearable. And autumn is wonderful.

It is starting to feel like summer. And that’s okay.

RetireJapan TV

Really enjoyed this week’s RetireJapan TV. It was just me and Daniel hanging out, but we had a great audience and somehow did almost two hours!

Check it out on YouTube via the link above, or on your favourite social media or podcast platform.

YouTube

Thank you for your support of the RetireJapan YouTube channel. Made a short overview about inheritance tax in Japan.

We just hit a cool number (5,555 subscribers) but I know we can help more people. Please continue sharing specific videos on social media, it really helps us out.

Would you leave Japan if you were expecting a large inheritance? Personally a couple of million USD would probably make me do that.

The RetireJapan Guide to NISA 2024 edition

Will be published on June 30th. If you have bought a previous version of the Guide, you will receive a complimentary copy of the new edition when it is released.

If you haven’t bought the Guide to NISA yet, and would like a copy, we are running a half price presale until it is published. If you buy the 2024 version you will also get free copies of new editions when they are released.

Please tell your friends and colleagues about this. The Guide will never be this cheap again.

PSA: UK election July 4th

UK citizens can now vote, even if they have been overseas for more than 15 years. Yay.

But if you want to vote by post, you need to apply to do so, even if you have already registered to vote.

A lot of people are not aware of this, so please share with family, friends, and colleagues before June 19th. Takes about two minutes to complete the process.

The Forum

The Forum is doing well (35,832 posts so far). Excitingly, we now have over 2,000 registered members (2,210 currently). The forum rules are here. In essense, they are:

1. Be nice
2. Ask any question you like
3. Only answer questions when you have relevant knowledge or experience

Here are the latest active threads:

This week’s books

Started reading Get Scalable, by Ryan Deiss, and Simple Marketing for Smart People, by Billy Broas. Need to work on our businesses.

Still reading The Algebra of Wealth and The Invisibles. They are both good but more something to read a bit at a time rather than all at once (and clearly are not gripping me, or I would have finished them by now).

This week’s conbini obsession

I am LOVING these new smoothies that 7-11 has. Basically they are a cup full of frozen fruit that gets blended for you by the machine, which adds a bit of liquid and turns it into frozen smoothie goodness.

There are five, and I rank them (from best to worst) as blueberry, mango, strawberry, banana, and the green leaf one.

They are around 100 calories, delicious, and full of actual fruit. Huge fan.

The only downside is the plastic container, so I am considering buying a blender and making something similar at home.

This week’s links

1. Ooof. I’m not sure many people actually understand what this number means: Japan’s Child Population Falls to New Low
2. Good. Let’s enforce this too: Media watch: Residential streets finally recognized as war zones by the police
3. Seems fairly common sense: Younger and older Japanese divided over rise in foreigners: survey
4. Plot twist: FIRE update: third year anniversary
5. How long will the music play? The Minsky Market
6. I need to get one: It’s time for guys to get with it and grab a parasol on hot, sunny days
7. Cash and index funds barbell for me: How Would You Invest $14 Million?
8. Would love to see serious progress in the next five years: Climate scientist Susan Solomon: ‘Let’s not give up now – we’re right on the cusp of success’

What do you think? Anything interesting in there?

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