“Tokyo Express” by Seicho Matsumotō

The prolific career of acclaimed mystery and detective fiction author Seicho Matsumoto spanned the latter half of the 20th century. His 1958 novel, Tokyo Express, provides a glimpse into daily life during the postwar period in Japan. Previously published in English a generation ago under the title Points and Lines, the novel has been freshly translated by Jesse Kirkwood. As Kiichi Mihara of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police connects the dots of the case, he relies on the country’s reliable and punct

Digits: Plasma, funerals, and Hallmark

1) A US judge overturned a policy barring Mexicans from crossing the border to sell plasma. The US accounts for 60% of global plasma collection, being the only country allowing donations up to 104x a year, and Mexican citizens account for 10% of it. 2) Death is a good business — in the US, ~19k funeral homes comprise the $23B industry. Increasingly, private equity firms are rolling up the homes and raising prices. 3) With winter, so come the holiday movies. This year, Hallmark is dropping 40 ori

The Hertz fleet is buzzing

For all the talk about EVs, only ~1% of cars on the road in the US are fully electric. But recent moves by Hertz Global Holdings might help change that, per The Wall Street Journal. In an effort to electrify 25% of its fleet by 2024, the rental car company — dogged by bankruptcy and accusations of poor customer service in recent years — has struck deals with GM, Tesla, and Swedish automaker Polestar. The deals… … should offer Hertz a couple immediate advantages, including: Credibility from inves

Disney’s move into trading cards

Walt Disney’s convoluted flow chart of revenue streams is getting a new addition. Earlier this month, Disney released the first batch of trading cards from its upcoming game, “Lorcana,” and they’re already fetching $2k+ on the resale market, per Polygon. Lorcana was designed… … in collaboration with board game maker Ravensburger, and is set for a fall 2023 release. Few details have been released about actual gameplay, but some hints have been dropped about the characters and setting: Who: Disney

Chinese Consumer Finance Companies See over 44% Growth in Lending

<div>Figures from the peak body for the Chinese banking sector point to rapid growth in lending by the country’s consumer finance companies since the start of the Covid pandemic. As of the end of 2021 China was host to a total of 30 consumer finance companies with a collective lending balance of 710.6 billion yuan, […]</div>

Gold Continues to Play Critical Role in China’s Monetary and Financial System: Leading Chinese Economist

<div>A leading Chinese economist from one of the country’s top tertiary institutions has highlighted the irreplaceable role of gold in China’s modern monetary and financial system. “Gold is an extremely ancient and important financial asset, and has played a unique role in the overall history of financial evolution,” said Zhang Xiaoyan (张晓燕), professor from Tsinghua […]</div>

WeBank Enters Strategic Cooperative Agreement with People’s Daily for Digital Financial Inclusion

<div>Tencent-backed private digital lender WeBank has teamed up with the flagship newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to further improve tech-driven financial inclusion in China. WeBank and the online version of the People’s Daily (人民网) executed a strategic cooperative agreement on 23 September in Shenzhen. The two parties said that they will “strengthen exchange […]</div>

Industrial Bank Grabs Award for Belt and Road Green Investment

<div>Fujian province joint-stock lender Industrial Bank Co,. Ltd. has won an award for its green finance efforts in support of projects that are part of China’s Belt and Road initiative. The Green Investment Principles (GIP) for the Belt and Road Initiative recently convened its fourth conference with the participation of over 100 GIP signatories and […]</div>

Bank of Qingdao Hopes to Solve Financing Challenges of Enterprises with Supply Chain Finance Innovations

<div>Shandong-province municipal lender Bank of Qingdao has highlighted innovations in the field of supply chain finance as part of efforts to improve financial inclusion for regional enterprises. Bank of Qingdao said that in 2022 it has “continually innovated supply chain finance products and models, resolved the financing difficulties of real enterprises, as well as driven […]</div>

What Is Act Consequentialism?

<div>Act consequentialism is a moral theory that tells us the morally right action is always the one that will produce the best overall outcome in the …</div>

Taste: Time to Indulge

<div><div><img src="https://www.portfoliomagsg.com/media/uploads/Nouri_Narezushi.jpg" style="width: 100%;"><div>Make a beeline for these top tables when you’re feeling the urge to splurge on luxurious caviar, the freshest Japanese ingredients, and more.</div></div></div>

What's In My Portfolio: Jakeena Malli

<div><div><img src="https://www.portfoliomagsg.com/media/uploads/Screenshot%202022-09-26%20at%208.54.24%20AM.png" style="width: 100%;"><div>Jakeena Malli is the Managing Partner of Culture Group</div></div></div>

Sisters in dharma

<div><p><img src="https://omicron.aeon.co/images/e1647da6-2587-4ea7-8a32-a0335f7af0b5/show_essay-parwati-soepangat.jpg" alt="Sisters in dharma | Aeon Essays"></p>In Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim nation, Parwati Soepangat pioneered a Buddhist feminist theology with deep roots <p><em> - by Jack Meng-Tat Chia</em></p><p><a href="https://aeon.co/essays/parwati-soepangats-pioneering-buddhist-feminist-theology?utm_source=rss-feed"> Read at Aeon</a></p></div>

60 cycles

<div><p><img src="https://omicron.aeon.co/images/947ce212-11f3-4190-ad57-28d5eeb5e434/show_60-cycles-landscape-4-v2.jpg" alt="60 cycles | Aeon Videos"></p>Follow the mesmerising movements of the peloton on a ride through the Canadian countryside, via this stylish 1965 classic <p><em> - by Aeon Video</em></p><p><a href="https://aeon.co/videos/bodies-bikes-and-groovy-music-propel-this-stylish-classic-film-from-1965?utm_source=rss-feed"> Watch at Aeon</a></p></div>

Full Tilt: Dervla Murphy’s Fierce and Poetic Account of Traversing the World on Two Wheels in the 1960s

A wonder-smitten reminder “that for all the horrible chaos of the contemporary political scene this world is full of kindness.” In the early nineteenth century, the teenage Mary Godwin and her not-yet-husband Percy Bysshe Shelley left England for the Continent, traveling by foot and by mule, on the wings of love and youth. Through their constant poverty and hunger, through the frequent accidents and illnesses, they slaked their souls on beauty — on the shimmering grandeur of mountains and rivers

Former President Summers praised for ‘paradigm-shifting’ tenure

Being the president of Harvard requires hard work, long hours, a willingness to take on tough challenges, and skin just a bit thicker than most. Still Lawrence H. Summers regards his time in the job with the greatest affection. “In no five years of my life did I live as much life as I did in my five years as Harvard President,” a teary Summers told a crowd of University officials, deans, faculty, colleagues, family, and friends who gathered to celebrate the unveiling of his presidential portrait

Testosterone-injected gerbils become extra-cuddly, “super partners”

High levels of testosterone are generally associated with aggressive behavior and unpleasant personalities. However, a pair of scientists at Emory University suspected that testosterone gets a bad rap. After doping a few gerbils with the sex hormone, they discovered that testosterone promotes nonsexual, prosocial behavior within the appropriate context, according to their recent study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. “For what we believe is the first time, we’ve demonstrated that testos

Religion Books for Kids Offer a World of Faith

<div>Publishers mine many cultures for books offering spiritual wisdom to children.</div>

From Peter to Putin: Rulers of Russia

<div>We look at the rulers of Russia from the state's humble beginnings to the present day.</div>

The First Cricket Match Report: Goldwin’s In Certamen Pilae

WILLIAM GOLDWIN Cricket 1700-style. Continue reading The First Cricket Match Report: Goldwin’s In Certamen Pilae