Kimono traders

Bored, rich and restless? Wondering what to do with your surplus cash? Well, how about jetting off to a foreign country and dabbling in the stock market? It might seem a rather risky practice, or even complete madness, but recent reports in local media suggest that scores of Japanese have been lured by the attractiveness of Vietnam's red-hot stock market and are doing just that. Tours are available for individual investors who want to fly into Ho Chi Minh City and make transactions in the stock market. Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that these investors are said to be house wives, who have the money and time to swoop in and buy and sell stocks. And while they’re at it, sure a bit of shopping on Dong Khoi and a foot massage, one might imagine. This is not specific to Vietnam and part of a wider trend which has seen Japanese housewives ditch their traditional roles, or daytime soaps, for the world of currency trading and influencing both international markets and Japan’s economy while they’re at it. They have been dubbed 'the kimono traders' by the international media. (From TO)