Hitomi Tanaka

People who just died first visit the death office. There, the final destinations of the deceased, who died for various reasons including suicide, murder and disease, are decided. Shimura works at the death office.

The Osawagi family lives in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture which is very near Tokyo. The man of the house, Daitetsu, lives with his wife Junko, four children and father Kintetsu. They are preposterous and extreme bunch where any trivial matter such as eating out or a child developing a fever can become a riot beyond imagination once they get involved.

WBS (World Business Satellite) is Japan’s longest-running business news programme, having first aired in April 1988. It has consistently reported on turbulent times—from the bursting of the bubble economy and the subsequent financial crisis, to the Lehman Shock, the Great East Japan Earthquake, the spread of COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—through its unique economic lens. While global economic news may seem distant at first glance, it is in fact deeply intertwined with our daily lives and work. Drawing on a wealth of data and clear explanations, we deliver ‘economic news that illuminates the path ahead’, providing insights to help shape your business and personal life from tomorrow onwards.