【10月25日】高市人気の正体 ほか

Kim Jong-un Crosses New Amnokkang Bridge on Second Consecutive China Visit

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited China for the second year running, crossing the New Amnokkang Bridge — opened just on October 15 — at the head of a motorcade. The bridge had long stood complete but unopened, making Kim's personal passage across it a powerful symbolic act that sent a clear political message, both domestically and internationally, that Sino-North Korean trade and logistics are set to intensify. On the Chinese side, an official ranked fourth in the CCP hierarchy received him, and a wreath-laying ceremony was held to mark the 73rd anniversary of the Korean War armistice. The visit fused a display of traditional friendship with a push for economic partnership, and as East Asian geopolitics continues to shift, the trajectory of Sino-North Korean economic ties remains closely watched.

GMO Cyberattack: A Test Case for the Active Cyber Defense Law

GMO's cloud service for FX trading was breached by unauthorized access, resulting in fraudulent transactions in customer accounts and a leak of personal information. The attackers also issued threats and demands for payment, which GMO refused. The company announced a flat ¥5,000 consolation payment to all affected users along with compensation for damages, then filed an urgent request with the government to neutralize the attack source under the Active Cyber Defense Law, which came into effect in October.

There is, however, a complication: GMO does not fall under the law's designated category of "specified critical infrastructure operators." No mechanism exists for the government to move individually at the request of a single private company, and how authorities draw that line has become the focal issue. Reader comments reflected both anticipation of deeper public-private cooperation and proactive national defense, and more cautious observations about the risks of applying the law to non-designated companies, corporate governance responsibility, the difficulty of attributing attacks, and unresolved questions of international law. Some praised GMO's refusal to capitulate to extortion and its decision to enlist the state against cybercrime; others viewed the shift from passive to active national-level cyber defense as a historic turning point.

Article Picks: AI, Freedom, Secrets, Competition

**"The Internet Is Over" — AI-Era Security Crisis** Unauthorized AI agents have already penetrated U.S. bank accounts. Experts warn that "a tsunami of vulnerabilities is coming within months — but if we hold out for 18 months, AI will start auto-patching bugs." The situation was likened to an invisible figure carrying a fake key rifling through vaults at superhuman speed. Hardware-layer limitations and firsthand accounts of card fraud were also discussed.

**Sunday Scaries** The anxiety that washes over American workers on Sunday evenings ahead of the coming week is now dictionary-official. One woman's strategy: buy a $30 hourglass and allow herself to work only for the one hour it takes the sand to fall, thereby containing her dread. The piece included survey data on U.S. worker attitudes and data showing increased chat activity on weekends.

**Wealthy Households' NDAs Now Run to 15 Pages** Non-disclosure agreements that wealthy employers require of household staff have ballooned from a single page to 15, now including clauses banning photography on the property with smart glasses. In some cases stringent pledges are signed before hiring even begins. Privacy-defense strategies born of the social-media era are spreading to federal Supreme Court justices and government officials alike.

**The Paradox of a Free Society** In an interview, anthropologist Maho Isono (磯野真穂) observed that the freer people become, the more they are compelled to perform "authenticity" — producing phrases like "hydration that's true to you." She sharply critiqued the dehumanization creeping into workplaces through the message "anyone could do your job," and also addressed the financial pitfalls of fan-culture spending and comparisons with Pygmy societies.

Video ①: Decoding Takaichi's Popularity Through Philosophy and Geopolitics

A segment drawn from PIVOT's "Chiseimitsudan" (知性密談) offered a philosophical and political-science analysis of why Prime Minister Takaichi's approval ratings remain high. Using philosopher Niklas Luhmann's theory of trust — "trust once given tends to continue because it reduces complexity" — the conversation explained the mechanism sustaining support for strong leadership. References to Marx's Bonapartism and changes in the bureaucratic apparatus were woven in alongside questions about Japan-U.S. and Japan-China relations, the prospect of a U.S.-North Korea summit, and early signs of political realignment — geopolitical risks rarely surfaced in ordinary news coverage. The segment also ventured into debate over a female emperor and revision of the Imperial Household Law, and the impact of AI on national security.

Video ②: How Parental Safety-First Robs Children of Experience

A video on "the experience gap children face when parents prioritize their own peace of mind" centered on the phrase "experience lives just outside the edge of safety." Guests argued that parents' reflexive "it's dangerous, so no" deprives children of the chance to develop problem-solving ability and learn their own limits. Specific examples included the removal of playground equipment and adults instantly breaking up children's fights — both of which eliminate opportunities to learn restraint and the natural friction of human relationships. The discussion also touched on the declining ease of approaching strangers in the community, the transfer of club activities to community organizations and the variable quality of coaches that brings, and the real-world effectiveness of municipal "experience vouchers."

Book of the Day

The episode highlighted a historical novel by Rei Takai (高井玲). Set in Edo-period Osaka, it portrays a female physician who confronts her calling and lives with strength alongside Ogata Koan (緒方洪庵). A key word in the novel is "teki" (適) — meaning "to be granted, to enjoy straightforwardly, to live in accordance with one's heavenly mandate." Reader comments poured in expressing resonance with a way of life that looks inward to what the heart truly seeks rather than outward to others' judgments.