This marks the final newsletter of the year. I hope the past year has been positive for all of you. With the end of the Covid-19 quarantine that persisted until last year, we can now travel abroad freely this year. Reflecting on my two-week hotel quarantine upon arriving in Japan, it feels like a distant experience. Additionally, the mobilization of Japanese airports verifying vaccination is surreal in hindsight.

From a company standpoint, conducting business in the U.S. has become challenging because the pandemic worsened the country's inflation rate and ultimately made it difficult to develop new business. It's been a demanding year for many companies, ours included, with business slowdowns and price increases, which only compounded difficulties. The stock market downturn has persisted for three years, which has also impacted many people's pensions. 

Fortunately, the stock market has shown improvement in the first quarter of this year, and the Japanese yen has regained some strength.

The U.S. presidential election is just a year away now. If Trump assumes the presidency again, he will be the second president since Grover Cleveland (the 22nd and 24th president) to serve two terms that aren't consecutive. Personally, I believe a new president, not Biden nor Trump, would bring more peace to the world, but I am curious about your thoughts. My preferences don't align with extremist political views.

Environmental issues are gaining prominence, but I advocate for policies supporting positive environmental practices rather than attempting to alter the environment. In Japan, some are proposing stricter working-hour management for long-distance drivers by 2024, and they're implementing policies concerning electric vehicles without adequate solutions or infrastructure in place. This, in my view, will only increase the burden on the public, and I am opposed to it.

While these policies may offer subsidies, taxpayer money will ultimately fund them. In such cases, I believe it'd be better to reduce the initial tax amount, but the current political system tends to favor the rich, taking money from them and redistributing it to the less affluent. This resembles socialism or communism, concepts I do not favor.

Democracy is about freedom and equality in everyday life. However, I can't help but feel that contemporary democracy leans toward the left and implies socialism. I aspire to an environment where individuals can pursue their own happiness, and I extend my best wishes to you all in 2024.