I read “Hope Gap Society, and After That” (Yamada Masahiro, Toyo Keizai Shinposha). It states that even if people’s standard of living declines in the future, more and more people in Japan will fill the gap in reality with the virtual world, and that the economy and society will be managed without destroying the whole through riots, terrorism, etc. The virtual world here refers to fantasy worlds in general, such as oshikatsu and games, and does not necessarily mean the metaverse or VR. But are Japanese people really that idyllic? I feel the signs of terrorism every day… (Kei)

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