| This is particularly true in the world of politics. For a political leader in any country, revealing a health problem can mean the end of his or her career. U.S. President Joe Biden, whose age has been the focus of much attention, was recently forced to make an unprecedented appeal that his memory was fine. Shinzo Abe served twice as Japan's prime minister but had to resign both times because of health problems. Even for a popular leader like Abe, health troubles can be fatal to a career. It is easy to imagine that female politicians are under even greater pressure when it comes to health issues. Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, one of the most influential female politicians in Japan today, has been hospitalized twice in the past few years due to illness. Each time, she had to deny speculation that she was seriously ill, and upon returning to work she was forced to insist that she was in perfect health and there was no need to worry. I myself am now 50 years old and have come to realize that maintaining good health is a prerequisite for everything. According to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the average life expectancy at birth for Japanese people in 2022 was estimated at 81.05 years for men and 87.09 years for women. Knowing that women will remain active in society longer than men makes addressing this issue even more imperative. This week's "Nikkei Asia News Roundup" podcast also highlights the themes addressed in the Big Story. Tune in to hear one of the authors, Alice French, discuss the significance of the issue. Asia's garment industry is known for its large female workforce, and this week's Asia Insight focuses specifically on Sri Lanka, a manufacturing hub that supports many of the world's best-known luxury apparel brands. The story delves into how the local industry is pushing to make a green transformation to increase its global competitiveness. In Japan, young people often judge a product or service based on its cost performance. But increasingly, "time performance" is also being used as a criterion for determining value. We all know about the often-viral popularity of short videos played through apps such as TikTok. According to our Business Spotlight in this week's magazine, Chinese producers -- with their eyes on the TikTok phenomenon -- are looking to challenge Netflix with minidramas that are less than two minutes long per episode. Lastly, I have an announcement to make: On March 14, we will host a special webinar on the Japanese stock market, which continues its record-breaking bull run. Register here for insights and observations from our top financial reporters in Tokyo. | 
