Right now, Japan is facing what might be its most severe economic crisis since World War II. Angry protesters are gathering outside government buildings in Tokyo, shouting "We are not your ATM!" Rice – the cornerstone of Japanese culture – has disappeared from supermarket shelves. Families are surviving on rice seasoning because they can't afford proper meals. And in an unprecedented move that sent shockwaves through global markets, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba just publicly admitted that Japan's financial situation is "worse than Greece's."

Let me paint you a picture of what's happening on the ground. Imagine living in one of the world's most advanced economies, yet watching your purchasing power evaporate as prices skyrocket while your wages stay flat. That's the reality for millions of Japanese families today. Sales of furikake – rice seasoning used to make plain rice more palatable – are at all-time highs because that's all many families can afford. When a nation that reveres rice can't afford rice, you know something is fundamentally broken.

But this inflation crisis is just the visible symptom of a much deeper disease. Right now, as we speak, Japanese bond yields are exploding upward in a way that's sending shockwaves through global financial markets. Japan's debt-to-GDP ratio has crossed the terrifying threshold of 234.9 percent – making it worse than Greece at the height of the European debt crisis. The Japanese economy is contracting. And those angry protests? They're just the beginning.
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