It helps that I've run conferences before and therefore have a level of trust from the people sponsoring to not fuck it all up.

Do something less grand for this birthday and plan a party for your 45th.

So when the organizers called me the following week and asked if I would participate as the first in a series of celebrity unpluggers, I immediately thought, This is a fantastic idea.

It's the wedding season in Japan but instead of opting for a small event in tough times, couples can rent fake family, friends and colleagues to plump up the guest list.

In the past, even mentioning the word "death" was believed to bring bad luck, and preparing one's own funeral while still alive was a major taboo.