Morinaga Takuro Issues Final Warning: A Reiwa Depression Awaits Due to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba

“I do not believe in the existence of the afterlife. This world is everything. Therefore, I was born with nothing and will leave with nothing. Achieving that is what end-of-life activities mean to me.”

Speaking earnestly is economic analyst Takuro Morinaga (67).

On a morning at 7:30 in late September, Morinaga appeared at a “micro farm” near his home in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, and gazed happily at the healthy growth of long eggplants, bell peppers, and okra, which were in the final stage of harvest.

“This is part of the ‘Tokainaka life’ that I propose, where one stops being a slave to capitalism and moves to the countryside or suburbs. It’s a social experiment that I started during the COVID period. I’m renting a 20-tsubo field with the aim of self-sufficiency in food as a lifestyle model that counters capitalism. The biggest advantage is being able to live without being bound by money.”

The copy on his T-shirt that reads investment dependency is the title of his book. He is not promoting that he himself is dependent; rather, he conveys the message of escaping investment, stating that the essence of investment is gambling, and that unplanned capital input carries significant risks.

 

Still working 18 hours a day

His weight, which was nearly 90 kg at one point, is now exactly 50 kg. While his once-massive frame is barely recognizable, he remains in high spirits.

“I’m in excellent health. If you exclude the fact that I’m a terminal cancer patient, there’s nothing wrong with me (laughs).”

In December of last year, Morinaga was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer (later reclassified as “unknown primary cancer”) and received a de facto prognosis from his doctor, stating, “It may be difficult for you to see the cherry blossoms next year.”

However, he has since succeeded in maintaining a stable condition by combining free medical blood immunotherapy with the immunotherapy drug Opdivo.

On September 13, he published a co-authored book with former Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry bureaucrat Hiroyuki Kishi titled “Last Will: Surviving in a Despairing Japan” (Takarajimasha), where he passionately argued for his views on escaping the control of the Ministry of Finance and the theory of a bubble in Japan’s stock market, but it seems there are still many things he wants to say and accomplish.

“I’m still working 18 hours a day. The fall semester at Dokkyo University, where I teach, has also begun, and I’m likely in the final stages of writing a book of ‘chilling fables’ for investors, which should be a first in Japan.”

Morinaga has already sold off most of the stocks he held as part of his end-of-life organization, but he has retained only the shares of Takara Tomy.

“I’m a die-hard Tomica collector, and I want to keep receiving the original Tomica and Licca-chan that come as shareholder benefits (laughs).”

 

Consumption Tax to be Raised to 15%

While Morinaga has pursued what he truly wants to do throughout his life, there is a fundamental aspect of him as a patriot who is concerned for his country.

On October 1, in the Prime Minister’s appointment election in the National Diet, Shigeru Ishiba (67), the new president of the Liberal Democratic Party, was elected as Prime Minister. Morinaga predicts a dark future.

“I was watching the presidential election thinking there was an 85% chance that Sanae Takaichi (63) would be elected, but there must have been people who absolutely could not have a Takaichi administration. With Ishiba becoming Prime Minister, the arrival of a ‘Reiwa Depression’ is certain. Among the nine candidates for the presidential election, Ishiba was the most lenient towards tax increases. He is not an economic expert and has been completely brainwashed by the Ministry of Finance. Future significant tax increases and cuts to social security are inevitable.

I predicted the stock market crash on the evening of Friday, September 27, when the new president was decided, and it happened just as I said. Moving forward, the consumption tax will head towards 15%, and the bubble-like Japanese stock market will burst. The Nikkei average will fall to the 10,000 range by the end of the year and ultimately drop to the 3,000 range. The variable interest rate on housing loans will undoubtedly rise by at least 0.15%, so I think it will have a significant impact even on citizens who are not involved in the stock market.”

While he presents this heavy prediction, Morinaga feels a certain sense of familiarity with the new Prime Minister Ishiba, who is the same age as him.

“Ishiba is an otaku like me. He doesn’t have any friends, and he finds happiness in beautifully finishing model ships, fighter jets, and trains. Ishiba has also frequented the model shops in Akihabara where I go, so I can easily understand that genuine otaku mindset. There are no bad people among otaku. Ishiba is a good person who listens to what others say. However, I think it will be difficult for a Prime Minister who is like that to exhibit strong leadership.”

Having gained popularity as a commoner-friendly economic analyst, what is Morinaga’s final warning to the Japanese people?

“Japanese stocks are a one-way sell. I want to reduce the number of people who will be lost in their old age. I think that is my last job as my life is becoming shorter.”

While stating he will leave nothing behind, Morinaga is about to depart, entrusting wise words to his compatriots.

From “FRIDAY” October 18 and 25, 2024