In the land of the of the Rising Sun people are facing the spectre of No Future. After two and and fifty years of isolation in the pre-modern period, the nation made modern technology their own. Despite the military period that ended in atomic catastrophe, they arose from the ashes phoenix-like and triumphed. That is now all in the past. A twenty year recession followed the bubble and the dream of holding the Olympics a second time looks unlikely. Any talk of it being merely postponed is questioned by a dubious population with little faith in their leaders. This lack of faith has plummeted even further with prime minister Shinzo Abe, who had the big idea to post two face mask to each and every person to lower infection rates during the virus. But, due to poor quality, these have had to be recalled. The country is in a shambles due to the government's ineffectiveness in the face of the virus. Some pachinko parlour are still open despite infection rates soaring in Tokyo. Imagining a return to normal on the other side is now becoming difficult. The government has also offered each person a thousand dollars to tide them through the crisis. But this is not enough. Especially compared to the one thousand, five hundred dollars being given to businesses for workers stood down during the crisis in Australia and New Zealand. The land of the Rising Sun, the locals argue, will no longer qualify as a developed country. The pace of life will slow down as they ease into life as a backwater not unlike the period of self-isolation in pre-modern times. Some would argue, however, this was the period of their greatest cultural achievements. It remains to be seen. Not sure what Godzilla would have to say! No more nukes!
