Ten years ago, I didn’t know “konnichiwa.” Now I live in Japan with my Japanese wife and three kids. Soon, the country could commandeer your life, your money, and your retirement much the same way as it does mine. And nobody sees it coming. It’s a bit like sub-prime mortgages and gain-of-function research. Who cares, until… Japan matters to all investors in two important ways. The first is its Net International Investment Position (NIIP). Japanese investors own vast amounts of foreign assets. About £2.6 trillion more than foreigners own Japanese assets. This makes Japanese investors a crucial source of funding, ... (full story)