The Monocle Minute

This year has proved to be Japanese-language television’s global breakthrough and it shows no signs of slowing. International audiences tuned in to shows such as House of Ninjas and Tokyo Swindlers (about property scammers) on Netflix and, the biggest of them all, Shogun from FX/Disney+, which won 18 Emmys including outstanding drama series – a first for a Japanese-language series. A second and third series are already in development.

Aside from the odd show such as Endurance, aka Za Gaman, an abomination from the 1980s in which contestants competed to withstand ridiculous physical challenges, or the adorable Old Enough, where toddlers were given chores and discreetly filmed as they tried to execute them, Japanese television had rarely reached a global audience. And if it did, it was as a cultural curiosity. Even Marie Kondo, the queen of decluttering, had to adapt her phenomenally successful show for an English-speaking audience.

If the Netflix algorithm hasn’t already thrown it your way, take a look at the series that topped the charts in Japan this year: Extremely Inappropriate (Futekisetsu ni mo Hodo ga Aru!), a time-travelling comedy drama in which a middle-aged teacher is propelled from 1986 to 2024 and forced to grapple with the cultural shifts that have taken place in the past 40 years. The show was such a hit that when it came to selecting Japan’s buzzwords of the year, number one was futehodo – the show’s nickname.

In the same way that translated works of Japanese contemporary fiction have made new literature accessible to a wider audience, so too has improved subtitling in Japanese television. For 2025, excitement is building for new Netflix series, Asura, a remake of the 1979 NHK family drama about four sisters, Ashura no Gotoku, based on a novel by Kuniko Mukoda. It has a strong line-up of famous Japanese actors in the lead roles but the biggest draw is that it has been written and directed by Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Koreeda. The success of Shogun has shown that Japanese content doesn’t have to be dubbed to be a global hit. Here’s to another stellar year in 2025.

Fiona Wilson is Monocle’s senior Asia editor and Tokyo bureau chief. For more opinion, analysis and insight, subscribe to Monocle today.

Aerospace firms from the UK, Italy and Japan have reached an agreement to form a new, as-yet-unnamed company to deliver the next generation of combat aircraft. BAE Systems, Leonardo and the Japan Aircraft Industrial Enhancement Co represent the respective industry leads from these nations, whose governments signed the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) together in 2022 with the aim to replace the UK and Italy’s fleet of Eurofighter Typhoons, as well as Japan’s F-2 combat jets. The ambitious supersonic fighter aircraft is scheduled to be in service by 2035, with many expecting it to be piloted instead of an autonomous vehicle.

This investment in manned technology has been in the spotlight in the US, where BAE Systems currently supplies parts for the F-35, made by US defence giant Lockheed Martin. With increasingly sophisticated drones deployed to devastating effect, the Pentagon’s costly fleet of F-35 fighters could prove a target of Elon Musk and his soon-to-be formalised Department of Government Efficiency. Current geopolitical tensions have accelerated the development of autonomous weaponry but fighter jets remain more capable than today’s unmanned systems. The GCAP was conceived before the conflict in Ukraine accelerated the development of drones, so all eyes will be on who – or what – is in the cockpit.

French newspaper Le Monde celebrates its 80th year in print today. In a bid to attract fresh readers and hit a target of a million subscribers by the end of 2025, the paper is launching a biannual English-language version of its M le magazine du Monde print title next year. At the recent Monocle Media Summit in Paris, group CEO Louis Dreyfus spoke to our editorial director and chairman, Tyler Brûlé, and our editor in chief, Andrew Tuck, about the company’s future plans.

How has 2024 shaped up for ‘Le Monde’?
When the news is as complex and as violent as it is right now, people seek out quality media to try to understand what’s going on. Our paid circulation has grown over the past year. People also want access to more peaceful content and to feel a sense of intimacy. This is what we are doing with M le magazine du Monde.

What’s driving new ventures?
Even though we are the largest newspaper in France, we want to reach new audiences. We’re investing a lot in younger audiences on digital networks such as Youtube and Tiktok. But there must be an editorial point of view at the core of every digital product. This means that a journalist always leads on these projects.

How important is it for like-minded, independent media brands to work closer together?
It’s very important. When I took the helm 14 years ago, there were 310 journalists. Today we have 560. We are investing in our newsroom, in talent and in research to reach a younger audience. We are trying to promote both our art and the industry.

US media company Forbes opened a high-end, private members’ club in Madrid yesterday. Thoughtfully placed in the heart of the financial district, Forbes House Madrid is built in collaboration with local partners SpainMedia (publisher of Forbes España) and designed by architect Carlos Lamela. It features seven floors, a Michelin-starred restaurant helmed by chef Adolfo Santos and a rooftop bar.

This new bricks-and-mortar outpost is aimed at business leaders, politicians, creatives and entrepreneurs in the Spanish capital. After the sale of Forbes fell through last year, plans have been put in place to diversify revenue. “When you look at the challenges for journalism, particularly in terms of advertising revenue, media outlets have to extend their brand,” communications consultant Simon Brooke told The Globalist. Forbes House Madrid shows the company’s intention to lean on its brand name and reputation, rather than rely on the performance of its print and online media. Depending on the success of its Madrid club, the pivot could see a slew of other bases cropping up around the globe. It remains to be seen how exclusive a club this will be and crucially, whether the outpost garners interest from potential investors.

Whether in burnt-brown or midnight-blue colourways, Brioni’s peccary leather gloves are a gift warmly received. With their soft feel and hand-stitched finish, the pair will patina nicely over years of wear. You’ll want to wear them all season long.

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Proteca’s 50-litre FreeWalker GL is the latest addition to our ever-expanding range of travel products. Made at the Akabira Factory in Hokkaido by Japan’s leading luggage manufacturer Ace – a specialist in suitcase technology for more than half a century. The case features the label’s trademark Bearon wheels® and Silent Caster® technology for quiet, smooth rolling and its rounded exterior, adorned in Monocle’s exclusive stylish olive hue, provides impact resistance. Complete with a TSA-approved lock and a luggage tag from Japan’s Brooklyn Museum, this suitcase is a reliable companion for both long-haul adventures and quick getaways.