Since 2023, the production of adult diapers in Japan has soared past that of baby diapers. Just five years ago, only one-third of diapers catered to adults, but guess what? Today, there's a 50-50 chance that a diaper produced in Japan is tailored for grown-ups, not for cute little babies!
Oh wait, there's more to this wild tale. The sushi currency JPY has taken a tumble of its own along the way.
While obviously BOJ YCC (yield curve control) and hence interest rate arbitrage can explain a lot of JPY weakness, the underlying reasons are aging population and struggling economy.
So there you go! Adult diapers have become the JPY barometer.
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