Hi, I'm Ryan Levy.

Welcome to Cyber reasons Malicious Life. At the turn of the 18th century Japan lived a merchant son named Yumiji Sumia.

Yumiji, just 23 years old, was reputedly, quote, the most dexterous person in the country.

And so when he told his father, Yusammon, that he wanted to travel to Kuryama to examine the rice markets there...

Yoseman collected all the money he possessed, gave Yomiji-Miji 600 reel of of gold and dispatched his son to Koryama.

Nate Nelson, reading from Kumage Una Amigasa, written in 1706.

As soon as Yomiji arrived at the wholesaler in Koryama,

he started a money-changing business.

For context, Rice wasn't merely Japan's most crucial good.

It was a means of exchange, a currency.

Some, including samurai, were paid with it.

Brokers used it as the basis for financial instruments like loans.

Yumiji wasn't so much entering the food industry, he was joining his eras Wall Street.

And like Wall Street.

And like Wall Street, there were already seasoned traders doing everything they could

to make a profit when he got there.

Yumiji was at an immediate disadvantage, but dexterous as he was, he came up with a plan for how to beat the market.

In order to get information about daily prices at the Rice Exchange,

Yomiji hired a regular Express manager and another manager.

A minute after the Rice Exchange started the business of the day in Osaka, the second manager wearing a red hat and

red gloves, ran like a flying bird and arrived at the Kuragari pass. He stood by a

landmark pine tree and tried to regain his breath.

...