Japan's Biggest Insurer Weighs Riskier Overseas CLO Investments
Nippon Life Insurance Co. last year joined other Japanese institutions that are buying CLOs — financial products made up of leveraged corporate loans — to diversify investments. They have typically focused on the highest-rated notes, which are seen as the least risky but offer lower returns.
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Eater
43 minutes ago
- Eater
Koreatown's Crispiest Donkatsu Hides in an Unassuming LA Strip Mall
The scent of crispy, fried pork wafts through the dining room at My Donkatsu, a family-owned donkatsu shop in Koreatown. Handwritten messages cover the white walls in a myriad of colors, with previous diners praising the umami of the unagi katsu and the melted, gooey texture of the cheese katsu. Tucked away in an unassuming Koreatown strip mall on Olympic Boulevard, sandwiched between a dated travel agency and trinket shops, My Donkatsu makes some of the best tender, crispy donkatsu the neighborhood has to offer. Mr. and Mrs. Lim (who prefer to only use their surname) opened My Donkatsu in 2024. The couple met in their native South Korea when they were in their early 20s while both working at a five-star hotel in Seoul — Mr. Lim as a chef and Mrs. Lim as a server. 'The hotel was known for being very high-end and having strict standards, says Soli, the daughter of the Lims. 'My dad learned all of his cooking while working there.' Mrs. Lim had a long history in hospitality before opening My Donkatsu — her family owned restaurants in South Korea her whole life. The Lim family moved to America in 2005, but it took some time before they were ready to open their own restaurant. Cheese katsu. Wonho Frank Lee 'Restaurants are my dad's passion,' Soli says. 'My mom didn't work once we moved to America, but her energy is not the stay-at-home type. She wanted to do something with the family, and that's how it started.' The Lims began to brainstorm, searching for something that felt like it was missing from their Koreatown neighborhood. 'We had been thinking about a katsu place for a long time,' Soli says. Although there are plenty of well-known katsu shops in the neighborhood, like Wako Donkatsu, the Lims still felt like they didn't see the version of the dish they wanted to serve. 'There wasn't one in Koreatown that felt new and special, like a blend between Korean and Japanese-style katsu. We knew we wanted to do something different.' It took almost two years for the Lims to find a space; they didn't want anything too big, with a preference for a more casual, intimate setting. My Donkatsu currently offers five types of katsu: chicken, pork loin, pork belly, unagi, and cheese. Each order of katsu comes with salad, pickled cucumbers, seasoned greens, soup, rice, and two house-made dipping sauces. The chicken and pork loin are accompanied by a tangy brown sauce made with beef and vegetable gravy and an orange-hued spicy mayonnaise, while the unagi comes with a special eel sauce. The pork belly and cheese katsu are served with a salsa verde-inspired green sauce that has a mild kick to cut through the richness of the cheese and meat. 'The all-time most popular items are the classic pork and cheese katsu,' Soli says. 'The most popular katsu at the moment is the pork belly. When we first opened, it was the chicken. Some days, we fully sell out of the unagi.' My Donkatsu specializes in a blend of Korean and Japanese-style katsu. Japanese tonkatsu, rooted in French influence during the Meiji Period between 1868 and 1912, is traditionally prepared with a thicker cut of meat, coated in a thick layer of breadcrumbs; a soy-tinged dark brown sauce comes on the side for dipping. The dish is based on côtelette de veau, a breaded and fried piece of veal. Korean katsu, often spelled donkatsu, arrived in the country while it was under Japanese occupation in the 1930s. At first, it was seen as a luxury due to the high price of pork in the post-war era, but it slowly became more accessible to the general population in the 1970s. During the '80s, donkatsu exploded in popularity in South Korea, served Western-style with a fork and knife. In contrast to the Japanese tonkatsu, donkatsu is often pounded thinner and served slathered in sauce that is slightly sweeter than the Japanese version. At My Donkatsu, the two styles are fused. The chicken and pork katsu are cut thick, akin to the traditional Japanese style, but the sauce is a blend of both and has a consistency that can be used for dipping or poured on top. The Lims find little ways to distinguish their katsu from other shops in the area, such as a batter blend that includes fresh breadcrumbs to make the crust lighter and airier, while also adhering to the filling better. 'We looked into ways of minimizing that separation so every bite has the perfect ratio of meat to crust,' Soli says. The resulting breading is sturdy enough to stand up to the thicker cuts of meat, while still offering the sought-after craggly edges. My Donkatsu uses organic chicken breast for the chicken katsu, rather than the more commonly used chicken thighs. The Lims prefer the cut both for the texture and the assurance that the meat is hormone-free. Spread of dishes at My Donkatsu. Wonho Frank Lee The Lims also tested multiple brands of cheese before landing on the mozzarella and the technique they currently use for the cheese katsu. 'Our cheese katsu is not a typical cheese katsu — the kind that has a bit of mozzarella torched on top. Ours is wrapped with meat, so the cheese is kept inside without reducing the crunch of the crust,' Soli says. Mr. Lim sources the pork used at My Donkatsu himself, spending his mornings visiting different butchers in Koreatown to find the best cuts. Alongside the katsu, My Donkatsu also serves Korean comfort dishes like flame-torched bulgogi, udon, and bibimbap. 'Udon lovers consistently compliment our udon, stating that they can tell the flavor comes from the ingredients themselves, which is true,' Soli says. Exterior of My Donkatsu. Wonho Frank Lee Dining room at My Donkatsu. My Donkatsu only has a handful of tables to dine at and a smattering of banquet-hall-style chairs, but Soli says it's plenty of seating.'Customers eat really fast,' she says. 'Our average customer finishes in around 20 minutes.' With katsu, it's not only preferable to eat it while it's still piping hot — it's necessary in order to experience the golden, crispy crust. While the place might look deceptively empty due to the fast turnover, it quickly becomes clear just how busy they are with a passing glance at Mrs. Lim scurrying back and forth between the dining room and the kitchen as she prepares each plate and waits on tables. Although the entire family is involved with My Donkatsu, Soli credits her mom with being the heart of the business. 'My mom consistently puts in 12-hour days,' she says. 'She shows up at 9 a.m. to prepare everything and stays until 9:30 p.m. when she locks up for the night.' While the restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday, Mrs. Lim can often be found there on Mondays, receiving deliveries and tidying up the space for the week ahead. 'She treats every customer like her daughter or son. It's a very Korean mom kind of place,' says Soli. My Donkatsu is located at 3003 W. Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90006 and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and until 9 p.m. on Sunday. Bibimbap. Wonho Frank Lee Bulgogi. Shrimp veggie pancake. Wonho Frank Lee Tornado shrimp. Wonho Frank Lee Pork gyoza. Unagi katsu. Wonho Frank Lee Cheese katsu. Wonho Frank Lee Messages from diners on the wall. Wonho Frank Lee Eater LA All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
UPI
5 hours ago
- UPI
Mitsubishi Heavy to build new Australian naval fleet
Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will build Mogami-class frigates, like the one pictured here, for Australia's naval fleet. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo Aug. 5 (UPI) -- The Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group announced Tuesday that the Australian government has chosen it to build a new fleet of warships for the nation's navy. The Japanese shipbuilder said in a press release that Australia selected the upgraded version of Mitsubishi's 4,800-ton type Mogami-class frigate for its new general-purpose frigates. "We believe that the decision made by the Australian government is based on its evaluation of our frigate's proven performance, reliability, technology, and capabilities, multi-functionality suitable for various roles including anti-submarine, anti-aircraft, and anti-surface warfare, as well as reduced manpower requirements compared to conventional frigates, and scalability to easily enhance capabilities in the future," Mitsubishi said. The first three frigates are slated to be built in Japan, under a contract worth more than $6.4 billion, but the rest of the 11-vessel order is expected to be constructed in Australia. Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles said during a press conference that the Mogami-class frigate was chosen due to its stealth capabilities and can operate with nearly half the crew currently aboard the Australian Navy's Anzac-class frigates, which have been in use since the end of World War II. "It's all part of our $55 billion investment in the Navy's surface combatant fleet," Australian Defense Industry Minister Pat Conroy posted to X Tuesday. "And it means tens of thousands of well-paid, highly skilled jobs here at home." "It's a decision months ahead of schedule, and a decision that means our first frigate will be delivered in 2029," Conroy also posted.
Business Wire
5 hours ago
- Business Wire
Lura Health Announces Strategic Investment and Business Partnership with SCO Group to Advance Intraoral Health Monitoring
NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Lura Health (UCHU Biosensors, Inc., Head Office: Newark, New Jersey, USA; CEO: Daniel Weinstein), a U.S. health tech company, today announced that it has entered into an investment and business partnership with SCO Group (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan; Chairman and CEO: Yusuke Tamai), a leading company in Japan's dental technology sector. The goal of the partnership is to deploy Lura Health's intraoral sensor technology into clinical use in Asia and expand its applications globally. Lura Health is developing wearable microsensors that can be worn inside the mouth, either attached to dental appliances or bonded directly to a tooth, to collect real-time biometric data such as pH levels and metabolites in saliva. The company is pioneering a new healthcare model that aims to "visualize whole-body health from within the oral cavity." Background and Purpose of the Partnership Lura Health has created the world's first continuous intraoral salivary monitoring sensor and is targeting medical device approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by early 2027. Following regulatory approval, Lura plans to expand its reach into Asian markets, starting with Japan. SCO Group is the operator of "Pay Light X," an integrated dental clinic management platform in Japan that supports appointment booking, diagnosis, payment, and aftercare. By integrating its sensor technology with SCO Group's clinical infrastructure, Lura Health aims to establish a new model for preventive health care in Japan. Key Points of the Partnership Continuous Monitoring with Intraoral Sensors Lura's sensors allow real-time monitoring of oral conditions such as pH and other salivary parameters. These measurements have the potential to supplement or replace conventional lab-based diagnostics in the future. Deployment through SCO Group's Platform By integrating with SCO Group's "Pay Light X," Lura aims to deliver its technology seamlessly to clinicians and patients. Joint pilot projects with Japanese universities and research institutions are expected to begin this fall to generate clinical validation and user feedback. Applications Beyond Dentistry Future use cases for the technology extend into sports performance monitoring, eldercare, and wellness, positioning Lura's sensors as a core tool in comprehensive personal health management. Statement from Daniel Weinstein, CEO of Lura Health "We at Lura Health are honored to announce our investment and business partnership with SCO Group, a leader in digital transformation within the Japanese dental industry. This collaboration represents a major step forward in our mission to enable preventive and user-friendly health monitoring through the diagnostic power of saliva. Our vision aligns deeply with SCO Group's commitment to improving the well-being of individuals through technology. Together, we will combine our sensor innovations with their extensive healthcare network to create tangible societal impact. We look forward to deploying our sensors in real-world clinical settings and co-developing patient-centered products based on live feedback from users in Japan." Partner Statement: Yusuke Tamai, Chairman and CEO of SCO Group "We are very pleased to partner with Lura Health, whose groundbreaking intraoral biosensing technology embodies the future of preventive healthcare. At SCO Group, we have long championed the integration of health technology into daily life, and this partnership allows us to take that mission to the next level. The oral cavity is a gateway to the body's health, yet remains one of the least-monitored areas. By utilizing saliva—a highly accessible source of biological data—we aim to convert invisible health risks into visible insights. Combined with our Pay Light X platform, we intend to build a comprehensive preventive care model that spans diagnosis, treatment, and everyday living." About Lura Health Lura Health is a U.S.-based medical device company developing intraoral microsensors that enable noninvasive, continuous monitoring of health biomarkers via saliva. Led by CEO Daniel Weinstein (Forbes 30 Under 30, Tufts University), the company specializes in microelectronics and biosignal processing and has drawn significant attention in fields such as oral health, diabetes, kidney disease, and therapeutic drug monitoring. LinkedIn:
