Rocky Swift
banner
rockyswift.bsky.social
Rocky Swift
@rockyswift.bsky.social
Reuters correspondent. Ex State Dept., Bloomberg News. Economics, FX and pro wrestling enthusiast. Opinions own. @swiftrocky on Twitter
https://www.reuters.com/authors/rocky-swift/
I rightly figured that snowstorm + election day would mean no lines at Munch’s Burger Shack.
February 8, 2026 at 3:58 AM
One day, I will leave the yen and JGBs behind so I can focus all my efforts on writing about...
www.reuters.com/sports/ukrai...
Ukrainian sumo star Aonishiki trains for Japanese national sport's top prize
The Ukraine-born grappler who has taken the sumo world by storm is now in deep training for a historic run at the highest prize in Japan's national sport.
www.reuters.com
February 4, 2026 at 8:26 AM
Reposted by Rocky Swift
Japan's Takaichi cites weak yen's benefits even as her government threatens intervention reut.rs/3M5yjXx
Japan's Takaichi cites weak yen's benefits even as her government threatens intervention
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi cited some benefits of a weaker yen on Saturday, in stark contrast ​to her finance ministry's threats to intervene to support ‌the battered currency.
reut.rs
January 31, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Reposted by Rocky Swift
NEW: An average worker at the foreign factories that make Nike’s goods earns 1.9 times the local minimum wage, the company says.

None of the workers @oregonian.com spoke with in Nike’s second-largest production hub said they earned that much.
Nike Says Its Factory Workers Make Nearly Double the Minimum Wage. In Indonesia, Workers Say, “It’s Not True.”
An average worker at the foreign factories that make Nike’s goods earns 1.9 times the local minimum wage, the company says. None of the workers The Oregonian/OregonLive spoke with in Nike’s second-lar...
www.propublica.org
January 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Rocky Swift
Different Places Have Different Safety Rules and That's OK
EXCLSUVIE: The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules and shared them with the companies they're meant to regulate, without making the new rules publicly available.

We've obtained a copy of the new rules and here's what we found.

www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...
The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules
The rewrite was done to speed up the construction of a new generation of nuclear reactors. Critics warn it could compromise safety and public trust.
www.npr.org
January 28, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Another McDonald’s Japan gimmick burger. This chicken thing was pretty good. They need a proper chicken sandwich on the menu. The tartar sauce was globbed sloppily on one side of the bun.
January 24, 2026 at 2:19 AM
Reposted by Rocky Swift
Japan is reviving nuclear power, balancing the need for more clean energy against the lingering trauma of the 2011 Fukushima disaster. On Wednesday, Tokyo Electric Power — the same utility that operated the Fukushima plant — restarted the first reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex.
An Anxious Japan Restarts the World’s Biggest Nuclear Plant
Japan is reviving nuclear power, balancing the need for more clean energy against the lingering trauma of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster.
nyti.ms
January 21, 2026 at 11:10 AM
Dramatic day in the JGB market.
January 20, 2026 at 8:35 AM
The yen's decoupling from interest-rate differentials is exhibiting what the technical analysts would call a clear stegosaurus pattern.
January 19, 2026 at 5:42 AM
Reposted by Rocky Swift
Perhaps one for @mulboyne.bsky.social but IKEA just announced they're closing their Harajuku and Shinjuku locations in three weeks.

Harajuku opened in April 2020, Shibuya in November 2020 and Shinjuku in May 2021; three locations in a 4-station section of the Yamanote Line always seemed excessive.
【悲報】IKEA原宿と新宿が相次いで閉店へ。《2月8日18時まで》 - ライブドアニュース
IKEAは、「IKEA原宿」と「IKEA新宿」の2店舗を、2026年2月8日で営業終了すると発表しました。悲しみの声続出...公式HPでは、「2020年~2021年のオープン以来、IKEA原宿およびIKEA新宿にご来店いただき、つながりを築
news.livedoor.com
January 18, 2026 at 1:57 AM
Reposted by Rocky Swift
A hiring spree among hedge funds in Japan is reaching fever pitch. The latest must-have: talent scouts.
Hedge Funds Hire Talent Scouts in Japan to Tap Market Comeback
A hiring spree among hedge funds in Japan is reaching fever pitch. The latest must-have: talent scouts.
bloom.bg
January 15, 2026 at 4:00 AM
First time eating one of these McDonald’s novelty burgers in a while. It’s…pretty good! Nice mix of savory, creamy sauces. Good bun. Filling mix of the bacon, beef and potato brick.
January 10, 2026 at 4:11 AM
Reposted by Rocky Swift
Perry Archangelo Bamonte, longtime guitarist and keyboardist for the influential goth band The Cure, has died. He was 65. The band announced his death on their official website on Friday. n.pr/4aAOyGc
Perry Bamonte, guitarist and keyboardist for The Cure, dies at 65
Perry Archangelo Bamonte, longtime guitarist and keyboardist for the influential goth band The Cure, has died. He was 65. The band announced his death on their official website on Friday.
n.pr
December 27, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Reposted by Rocky Swift
If there is one Japanese sports team name that I wish to preserve in amber for all eternity, it is the B.League's Bambitious Nara.
December 27, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Reposted by Rocky Swift
Tokyo's public parks suffered a unique form of theft this week. Thieves made off with the flush valves from toilets in Suginami City's Wadabori Park, rendering them inoperable. Similar thefts were later reported at another 10 locations around Tokyo.
December 23, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Reposted by Rocky Swift
Uniqlo owner Fast Retailing will raise base salaries for new graduates in Japan by as much as 12%, stepping up efforts to secure and retain talent as the country’s workers grapple with inflation. 👉 ebx.sh/1Kf3Hp
December 22, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Sayonara to one of the highest paid executives of a Japanese company
7-Eleven Inc says CEO Joe DePinto to retire - www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
7-Eleven Inc says CEO Joe DePinto to retire
Convenience store chain 7-Eleven Inc said on Friday that Chief Executive Officer Joe DePinto will retire after 20 years in the role.
www.reuters.com
December 20, 2025 at 3:21 AM
Reposted by Rocky Swift
人気格闘ゲーム「ストリートファイター」のキャラクター「エドモンド本田」の銅像が、奈良県橿原市の近鉄橿原神宮前駅中央口の駅前広場に設置された。市が募った寄付に企業8社と市民1人が応じ、約800万円で製作した。

#ストリートファイター
ストリートファイター・エドモンド本田の銅像登場 リュウ、春麗、ケンに続き 奈良・橿原
人気格闘ゲーム「ストリートファイター」のキャラクター「エドモンド本田」の銅像が、奈良県橿原市の近鉄橿原神宮前駅中央口の駅前広場に設置された。市が募った寄付に企…
www.sankei.com
December 20, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Reposted by Rocky Swift
Diageo sells East African Breweries stake to Asahi for $2.3 billion reut.rs/4s2NQYg
Diageo sells East African Breweries stake to Asahi for $2.3 billion
Diageo , the world's largest spirits group, has agreed to sell its 65% stake in East African Breweries to Japan's Asahi Holdings for $2.3 billion, divesting its last direct African beer holding.
reut.rs
December 17, 2025 at 11:45 AM
Reposted by Rocky Swift
The Times accuses Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth of violating its constitutional rights with a press policy that, the paper says, deprives the public of access to critical national security information. n.pr/4oyViHW
'New York Times' sues Pentagon over media restrictions
The Times accuses Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth of violating its constitutional rights with a press policy that, the paper says, deprives the public of access to critical national security information.
n.pr
December 4, 2025 at 10:34 AM