Reader Letters

2026-09-13

A reader

I found this blog through Kohaku Kitano's newsletter. I've been reading the content with great interest and really appreciate it. There's just one thing that concerns me — some posts have dates that are still in the future (for example, "Japan-ifying Britain" is dated September 24, 2026). Is there some intentional reason for this? If not, I'd suggest a revision, since this creates an inconsistency between the article content and real-world events.

At the time this message was submitted, the form didn't yet include an email field, so I'm replying here instead. Thank you so much for reading the blog and for pointing this out so carefully. I looked into the post date you mentioned and have already corrected it. I really appreciate you pointing this out.

2026-09-12

NhatAnh

A reader who moved to the UK in 1989, studied at a British university for four years, and later started a business in Vietnam — a country with a per-capita GDP of just $160 at the time. After riding the wave of Vietnam's rapid growth throughout his working life, he sold the business upon turning 60 and now, at 62, lives a retired life in Japan. Having spent his formative years in the UK, he was saddened to learn through this blog how much the country's situation has deteriorated. He also touched on Japan's economic stagnation and the widening inequality facing his daughter's generation in the US, writing that amid this shared struggle among developed nations, he hoped reading the blog might offer some kind of hint or perspective.

Dear NhatAnh, Thank you for your letter. As your message arrived before the form included an email field, I hope you don't mind my replying here on this page instead. I was struck to learn that you moved to the UK in 1989 — that's the very same year I arrived in London myself, starting out working at a Japanese restaurant. Knowing we crossed the sea in the same year gives me a curious sense of connection. I have great respect for the path you took — building a business in Vietnam and walking alongside the country's growth until selling it at 60. Starting from a time when per-capita GDP was just $160, your journey resonates with my own experience of building a Japanese food business from scratch in the UK. I understand the sadness you feel about the UK's current situation — I feel that change in my daily life here too. It isn't easy watching a place that shaped your formative years transform so much. Japan's stagnation, and the widening inequality your daughter's generation faces, feel like challenges our generation simply has to reckon with. There may be little any one of us can do about the larger tide, but your letter reminded me that simply writing about daily life and one's thoughts can still leave something meaningful with someone else. I'll keep sharing my own experiences and reflections through this blog. Please feel free to write again anytime.