Japan's Weeb Economy Explained: Where Anime, AI, and FDI Collide | Noah Smith

At Coral Capital’s Tokyo HQ, economist and writer Noah Smith joins James Riney, Founding Partner and CEO of Coral Capital, to explore how Japan is uniquely positioned for a global resurgence. They discuss how the country can convert its global fascination into a strategic advantage, and why Japan is increasingly on the radar of institutional capital and high-net-worth investors.The conversation dives into:• The rise of the “weeb” economy” (think anime, fashion, subculture, and Japan’s growing soft power on the global stage)• Why Japan is primed for greenfield FDI in AI, semiconductors, and deep tech• How Tokyo is rivaling Austin and Paris as a global tech & startup hub• Japan’s untapped operational MOAT for builders and investorsIf you're working on something ambitious, we’d love to hear from you at Coral Capital!Get in touch with us hereChapters:00:00 Trailer00:52 "Weebs" and Japanese tourism05:48 Rule by law and economic factors14:22 GDP and exports17:19 Cultural mindshare and diasporas24:51 Enterprise value creation30:29 Small businesses34:46 Financial policy39:35 Immigration, fluency, zero-tolerance47:54 Exports need improvement49:35 Untapped demand50:00 Plaza Accord54:50 Book plug and outroMentioned in this episode: Battle Royale, Ruth Benedict, Sakana AI, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC), Apple iPhone, Taro Kono, Mijoté San Francisco, The Boeing Company, Christopher Poole a.k.a. moot, Jack Ma, Silicon Valley, Dell Inc., Donald Trump, WeChat (Weixin)Connect with Noah: https://x.com/NoahpinionNoah’s Substack: https://www.noahpinion.blog/Connect with James:X: https://x.com/james_rineyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesrineyLearn more about Coral CapitalThis episode was produced & distributed with the help of our friends at Atomik Growth.