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Friday is back!
Hello, Curse and Coffee friends,
Today, we explore the return of the horse (for Lunar New Year).
Hit reply and let us know what you think (we read all of your kind words).
Coffee at the ready…
The Big Sip
The take: Sixty years ago, a superstition crashed Japan's birth rate by 25%. The zodiac year responsible returns next month.
What happened: The Year of the Fire Horse begins February 17—the first since 1966, when Japanese parents avoided having daughters they believed would be "headstrong" and "kill their husbands."
Why it matters: Japan recorded fewer than 700,000 births in 2024 (the lowest since 1899). Experts didn't expect numbers this bad until 2041. Any Fire Horse dip makes it worse.
What to watch: Japan's monthly birth stats through autumn, the first window where a 2026 effect would show up.
Japan's population research institute isn't even modelling for a Fire Horse effect. That's either confidence or a very expensive blind spot.
Sponsor Break
Before we slurp into today’s brew…
Here are some wordies from today’s sponsor.
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