Deep DiveWhy Japan's Expressway Tolls Still Pay Off a Debt From the 1970s
Privatization moved highway debt off the government books, but your toll still flows through a lease payment to a bondholder agency you never see on the sign.
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Deep Dives
In-depth reporting and explainers on the ideas, institutions, and forces shaping everyday life.
Deep Dive
Deep Dive
Why a Sound Japanese House Can Be Worth ¥0 as Collateral
Tax depreciation writes the building down on a fixed clock; banks treat that clock as physical law, so land stays expensive while the structure stops counting.
Deep Dives from around the world
Deep DiveWhy Singapore's Electricity Tariff Still Tracks Fuel Oil Every Quarter
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Deep DiveWhy Your LPG Cylinder Price Is Set in Riyadh Before It Is Set in Delhi
Deep DiveWhy the Last Kilowatt-Hour on a Korean Summer Bill Costs More Than Twice the First
Deep DiveWhy the Same Train Journey Costs Less as Three Tickets Than One
Deep DiveWhy Taiwan Taxes Homes Using a Land Value Far Below the Sale Price
Deep DiveWhy SNAP Won't Buy the Rotisserie Chicken Sitting Next to the Raw Bird
Deep DiveWhy the Certificate of Entitlement Can Cost More Than the Car
Deep DiveWhy Medicare Won't Pay for Your Ambulance Bill
Deep DiveWhy IRCTC Charges More the Later You Book a Sleeper Berth
Deep DiveWhy Korea Still Rents With Lump-Sum Deposits the Size of a Home Loan
Deep Dive