The Monocle Minute

As anyone who has been in Tokyo during the past couple of weeks will know, Japan is taking no chances when it comes to security for the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, which is being held today and tomorrow in Shima in Mie Prefecture. The heavy police presence on the streets of the Japanese capital has been hard to miss. Japan has put a record number of police officers on duty for the summit: 70,000 have been posted at 3,500 busy stations and shopping areas across the country, including 23,000 around the venue and at Chubu Centrair Airport near Nagoya, where most of the world leaders landed. When president Obama makes his historic visit to Hiroshima on Friday there will be as many as 4,600 police officers on duty.

At Ebace, Europe’s annual business-aviation expo in Geneva, safety is paramount. An all-day workshop this week focused on maximising pilots’ performance, from improving diet to coping with long hours in the skies. One company is showcasing software to monitor crews’ in-air fatigue; another is selling a system that gives pilots clear vision if smoke fills the cockpit – three such incidents occur daily in the US. And as the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro draws closer, private-jet owners are becoming increasingly concerned about the Zika virus. On Wednesday Dr Michael Braida from MedAire held a session exploring Zika’s effect on business-aircraft operators. The bad news: mosquitoes love hiding in planes. The good news: awareness and simple precautions such as repellent and long trousers can make all the difference.

Known as one of Indonesia’s most corrupt institutions, Jakarta’s police force has thrown resources at improving its public image in 2016. But now it faces a different kind of problem altogether after one of its latest publicity stunts backfired: that of being too cool. Police-issue shirts branded with the “Turn Back Crime” slogan (as shown above) were made widely available for public purchase this year. The navy polos, popularised by the officers who deftly responded to January’s terrorist attacks, quickly became en vogue with civilians on Jakarta’s streets. The problem is that criminals have started using the shirts to impersonate police officers so that they can steal from gullible victims. New Jakarta police chief Moechgiyarto can now add rectifying this fashion blunder to his to-do list, as he aims to clean up the organisation.

This week more than 30,000 design aficionados from around the world are descending on a small, vibrant corner of London for the seventh annual instalment of Clerkenwell Design Week. The three-day affair, which comes to a close today, sees architects and designers set up shop in eight exhibition venues and more than 85 showrooms dotted across Clerkenwell, a historic watch-making hub that is today home to more creative businesses and architects per square metre than anywhere else in the world. This year’s standout offerings include FleaFollyArchitects’ wooden, monastery-inspired archway (pictured) and Daniel Libeskind’s geometric Moroso sofas. “I really enjoy Clerkenwell Design Week because it’s quite small and much more relaxed than [Salone del Mobile in] Milan,” says up-and-coming German designer Sebastian Herkner, who is presenting his collection of plastic-woven lounge chairs for outdoor-furniture specialist Dedon. “The mood is really positive – and you have more time to see the interesting things that are happening.”

How do you successfully reinvent a popular brand? Tony Conrad and Jeff Veen of Silicon Valley-based venture-capital firm True Ventures sit down with Daniel Giacopelli to discuss tips learned from growing, selling and then relaunching About.me. They also explain why design is key and share tips for building a business that lasts.

Swimming in the city got a boost last summer with the launch of inspiring new concepts in Berlin and London. We take a dip and explore the pool experiences on offer.