The Monocle Minute

The number of foreigners buying up properties – including shop and office space – and turning them into holiday homes in the Greek tourism hotspot of Halkidiki is on the rise. Demand for small summer properties is coming mainly from Bulgarians, Russians, Serbs, Cypriots and the Chinese. It’s another sign that people are making good use of Greece’s “golden visa” programme, introduced in 2013, which grants EU residency for real-estate investments over €250,000 with no requirement to stay in the country for an extended period of time. Though some critics says that the visa is being treated as a golden ticket to the rest of the EU (it allows non-EU citizens to travel to and do business in Schengen member states visa-free), the boost to the local economy can only be a good thing.

As regional governments across Japan brace for the possibility of a North Korean missile attack, one prefecture is releasing its guidelines for residents in an easy-to-follow format: manga. Last week the Hokkaido prefectural government began distributing its two-page pamphlet, When A Missile Approaches, online after two​ North Korean ballistic missiles passed over Hokkaido airspace​. The manga, drawn by artist Manabu Yamamoto, addresses six different groups, including office workers, farmers, fishermen and students. It instructs people to crouch beneath tables, stay away from windows and find cover behind buildings in the event of an attack.

Aiming to keep the European defence industry limber, Brussels has launched a multimillion-euro fund for all EU member states. Yet while the aim is to fuel development, Italy is worried that its defence companies would be cut out of the deal, with money flowing to larger German and French firms. A report out this month from the Italian senate warned that the run of cash could leave Italian firms weaker and ripe for takeovers. Why? The €500m fund is earmarked for firms with a minimum of two national partners – designed to foster cross-border co-operation – which would put Italian companies at a distinct disadvantage. Without huge investment from its government the home industry could soon feel under attack.

The big four fashion weeks may be over but many buyers and editors are in Asia for Seoul and Tokyo’s spring/summer 2018 fashion events, both of which run this week. South Korea is the fast-growing giant of the fashion world and, in recent years, its capital’s fashion week has proven an effective platform for springboarding designers such as Juun. J and The-sirius into the spotlight. This season foreign buyers from the likes of Selfridges and Barneys will view collections from dynamic brands such as Nohant, which twists denim and tweed into high-fashion creations. Amazon Fashion Week Tokyo is a more established but arguably less hyped affair. Unsurprisingly, the quality of brands on show is first-rate (though the event mostly caters to the local market). This season, look out for collections from big-name Japanese brands such as TakahiroMiyashita TheSoloist and up-and-comers such as Hyke. Our pick of the week? On Friday, Sacai and Undercover – two internationally feted brands that have just shown in Paris – will put on a special combined catwalk show.

En Marche holds power in France, the far-right Alternative für Deutschland is challenging Angela Merkel’s uninterrupted grip on power in Germany and Greece’s radical left-wing group, Syriza, is the largest party in the Hellenic Parliament. In fact, newer movements have done pretty well of late. What’s behind their inexorable rise?

Alexander Gilkes, co-founder of online auction house Paddle8, unveils the alchemy that surrounds the world of collecting art.