co-founder of Salon Séance. philosopher at heart, historian by trade. did the research for Gambling Man (Allen Lane, 2024; 邦訳『勝負師』日経BP). next book: Tokyo’s Private Railway Empires. 元자이니치. 京都生まれ名古屋育ち東京在住. simonは芸名です. https://salonseance.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mijiqvfhos2302 Apr 2026 15:16 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mijiqvfhos23https://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mhwpc55hwc2i26 Mar 2026 03:52 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhwpc55hwc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mhnpm52uvs2bJapan’s high-growth era was made possible by (1) global economic expansion, (2) cheap oil, (3) $1=¥360 exchange rate The dollar float and oil crisis brought this to an end Now we face a crisis of (1) tariff-led global slowdown, (2) rising oil prices, and (3) US+JP govts allowing ever weaker yen [contains quote post or other embedded content]22 Mar 2026 14:04 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhnpm52uvs2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mhnpiyejoc2b戦後日本の高度成長は、①世界経済の拡大、②安価な石油、③ドル=360円の為替レートという条件が揃うことで可能となった しかしニクソン・ショックと石油ショックがそれを終わらせた 今日も①関税による世界経済の後退、②石油高騰、③日米政府の円安の容認によって、同規模の危機に差し当たっている22 Mar 2026 14:02 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhnpiyejoc2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mgjoygk7tc24Another day of deciphering and reprimanding my hayatochiri self My head was fixed in kuzushiji mode that when I saw the second character in the highlighted bit, all I could see was 己 as you often see in 記 But it's actually just a poorly written 区 duh 1/3 [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 Mar 2026 06:17 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgjoygk7tc24https://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mgi2u6f4wc2qSo the key piece here turned out to be the knowledge that "outward flick at the end indicates it's a 口 at the bottom" So it certainly pays to know the shape of basic characters Gotta have the basics down [contains quote post or other embedded content]07 Mar 2026 14:44 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgi2u6f4wc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mghskgkj3s2sAnother adventure in deciphering I couldn't recognise the highlighted word But it has 2 characters And I was confident about the makeup of the first character so I started there It has a hitogashira 𠆢 and kidna looks like 會 But it flicks outwards not inwards at the end, so its not 日 but 口 1/4 [contains quote post or other embedded content]07 Mar 2026 12:15 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mghskgkj3s2shttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mfdtk5r3nk25i say “it turned out to be” and thats probs the jp habit of turning things into the 3rd person but it was just a rethinking of assumptions i asked myself “what if its not て but an odoriji?” and that course correction is what opened up new possibilities — kimetsuke is bad, u gotta be an ironist [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Feb 2026 04:57 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfdtk5r3nk25https://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mfdr2mzg6c2etoday’s adventure in deciphering spent some figuring out this bit in the text was initially working under the assumption it was「◯て」 but it turned out to be「畧〻」 畧 being an alternate form of 略（ほぼ）21 Feb 2026 04:13 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfdr2mzg6c2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mf7ojcvam224佐滝剛弘(2024):「さて、いわゆる「二重価格」がはたして観光公害を救い、観光立国にふさわしい施策かどうかを考えてみたい。 　日本は、「観光立国」を標榜してインバウンドを積極的に誘致している。そのために、JRの運賃や高速道路の料金の割引策を実施している。JRの全線が乗り放題の「ジャパン・レール・パス」はよく知られている。〔…〕こうした優遇策が誘致の底流にあったことを考えると、外国人、あるいは地元以外の観光客の入場料や料金を高くするというのは、大きな方向転換である。〔…〕 　まず、外国人にだけより高い料金を設けることは、「観光立国宣言」をした国の基本方針とは→ 1/419 Feb 2026 13:16 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf7ojcvam224https://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mf546ug6522mhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7OasIF1gVU&t=1s18 Feb 2026 12:43 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf546ug6522mhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mf2nvzcyts2thttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m44r0c2A5qw17 Feb 2026 13:22 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mf2nvzcyts2thttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mevqfgva322pAn interesting reflection by sociologist Kinosita Chigaya on the legacy of Reiwa Shinsengumi and what their near-decimation in last week's Lower House elections says about Japanese politics today [contains quote post or other embedded content]15 Feb 2026 14:23 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mevqfgva322phttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3menk2rtth22dKyodo reports that the LDP, now equipped with the largest majority in the postwar period, has requested that every committee chair and review board chair position in the Diet be filled by one of their own www.47news.jp/13857838.html https://www.47news.jp/13857838.html12 Feb 2026 08:09 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3menk2rtth22dhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mene5rthf22zi personally love this kind of stuff12 Feb 2026 06:23 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mene5rthf22zhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mekqrccdqk2gLDP now has 66 first-time lawmakers on their hands Previously, the party outsourced newbie training to factions But the factions (bar Aso) have been dissolved, so the party has to quickly build their own central training programme And they need to hire aides too https://digital.asahi.com/articles/ASV2B3H0MV2BUTFK00BM.html [contains quote post or other embedded content]11 Feb 2026 05:31 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mekqrccdqk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mej4mhxlkk2hIn Kyodo’s first post-election poll, when asked whether the LDP nominating candidates implicated in the slush fund was appropriate, 60.2% answered “inappropriate” 43 out of 45 such candidates won their races on Sunday Support for LDP is now at 40.8%, down from 43.7% https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUA10ATZ0Q6A210C2000000/10 Feb 2026 13:58 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mej4mhxlkk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mej2wr4to22w [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 Feb 2026 13:28 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mej2wr4to22whttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3meiizdilas2h10 Feb 2026 08:07 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3meiizdilas2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mdyxd2n5x22nPosts with Japanese text / All Posts = 245/3,809 = 6.43% Likes of posts with Japanese text / All Likes = 572/16,466 = 3.47% (Number of observations over a 60 second period) [contains quote post or other embedded content]04 Feb 2026 03:40 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdyxd2n5x22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mdu3lfgujs2uIn JNN’s most recent poll, published today, people were asked which party they intend to vote for in the proportion representation side of the Lower House elections Only 4% of the under-30s demographic answered with a left or centre party (CRA, Reiwa and SDP each had less than 1%; Mirai 1%; JCP 3%) [contains quote post or other embedded content]02 Feb 2026 05:13 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdu3lfgujs2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mdpdaskhc22revergreen benjamin31 Jan 2026 07:47 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdpdaskhc22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mdpbcdz3i22jThe TACO theatre31 Jan 2026 07:12 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdpbcdz3i22jhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mdp5alehuc2jAnother interesting perspective, this time on the difference in emphasis in the campaign speeches of Takaichi and Noda/Saito [contains quote post or other embedded content]31 Jan 2026 06:00 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdp5alehuc2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mdfdj2krns2dAs Mark Winchester @archerknewsmit.bsky.social has noted, “foreigner problem” and “foreigner policy” are terms that have come into currency only in the past year Nakano Kōichi ran a search on Asahi Shimbun database and saw such terms had no or only single digit hits until 2024, but 3 digits in 2025 [contains quote post or other embedded content]27 Jan 2026 08:25 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdfdj2krns2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mdeyi6ayek2sGramsci casually quoting something Romain Rolland wrote eight years prior, in a book review no less https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k299613c/f1.item [contains quote post or other embedded content]27 Jan 2026 05:08 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdeyi6ayek2shttps://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mdet6qa72c25An illustration: A man was watching the JNPC debate between the heads of the major parties on TV with his wife At one point Tamaki grilled Takaichi over whether the sales tax cut for businesses will be by zero-rating or by exemption And the wife went “poor Ms. Takaichi, being treated like that” [contains quote post or other embedded content]27 Jan 2026 03:33 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdet6qa72c25https://bsky.app/profile/kant.bsky.social/post/3mdcsqr3xj22eOne of Sanseito’s co-founders, Watase Yūya, said yesterday that the party strategy in their first national election was to lure people who support Reiwa This was because Reiwa supporters already overlapped with Sanseito in their affinity for anti-vax, conspiracy theories, organic foods, etc. [contains quote post or other embedded content]26 Jan 2026 08:20 +0000at://did:plc:o7vaisof3w5miscfoqzdoxl7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdcsqr3xj22e