Deep Dive: Analyzing 121 Tweets from Rei Kokubun, the Time Traveler from 2058 [Laid-Back Explanation]

This time, we’re gonna dive into Rei Kokubun, the future person who suddenly appeared.

• Rei Kokubun blew up on Twitter, didn’t they? Pretty famous account, right?

Yeah, yeah. At first, they were making predictions, then started answering user questions about the future. It was pretty interesting, so this time, I wanna cover it all.

• So, like, this is what the future’s gonna be like in almost 40 years, huh?

Alright, first, let’s look back at this Rei Kokubun account.

• Let’s do it!

This account was created on Wednesday, December 11th, 2019. The account name is Rei Kokubun (reikokubun). The profile says, “Came from 2058. Nice to meet you.”

Born in 2034, 24 years old at the time. Height 180 cm (about 5’11”), male.

• Wait a sec! Did they tweet their gender and height?

Nah, they didn’t. We’ll find out the source for this later, so just hang tight.

They aren’t following anyone, but as of December 2021, they have over 530,000 followers.

• That’s a huge number.

A graduate student at the engineering department of a certain national university in Tokyo. Majoring in architecture. Apparently, they time-leaped from 2058 using a spatio-temporal transfer device with the help of friends.

• If that’s really true, it’s exciting.
• But, y’know, time-leaping to the past and then… creating a Twitter account? That’s… wild. I don’t really get it.

Yeah, naturally, they mentioned this too. The reason for posting on Twitter is apparently “to confirm the traces of the move to 2019 in the year 2058.”

• Then couldn’t they just use Facebook or Instagram?

They addressed this too. To the question “Why did you choose Twitter as your communication method?”, they answered this:

“Because in the 2020s, the reliability of the written word will be re-evaluated. Right now, photo/video SNS like TikTok and Instagram are popular, but with advancements in editing tech and the flood of AI-generated fake videos, young people will start moving away from videos.”

…So, it seems that’s why they chose Twitter.

• Huh, is that so?

They planned to stay from December 8th, 2019, to September 29th, 2020, and then return to the future. However, due to some problem, they couldn’t go back and resumed tweeting on August 9th, 2021. Then, they finally returned to the future after September 28th, 2021.

• What kind of ‘some sort of problem’?

It’s unclear why they couldn’t return. By the way, they made this tweet:

“That Zatsuyo model looks kinda sus.” (Note: “ざっよ” might be a typo or specific slang, translated based on likely sentiment.)

• That sounds like something an elementary school kid would say!

By the way, they tweeted using an iPhone.

• Huh, how did they get a contract?

Maybe they bought a used iPhone somewhere and used free Wi-Fi to tweet.

• Can you even make a Twitter account without a phone number?

Apparently, you can.

• Well, that makes sense then.

Incidentally, they’ve made 121 tweets so far. In this video, we’ve checked them all, categorized them, and will share them with you.

• Wow, that must’ve been a lot of work.
• What categories are there?

We divided them into these six.

① Hit Predictions ② About Rei Kokubun ③ About Disasters ④ Domestic Affairs (Japan) ⑤ World Affairs ⑥ Other

Okay, let’s start with the predictions that came true.

• Let’s do it!

There are 7 hit predictions. First, this one.

“‘Japan’s gold medal count for the Tokyo Olympics is 27.'”

• 27, spot on!
• And they tweeted this in 2019, before the Olympics even started.

Next. A tweet from December 15th, 2019.

“‘In 2020, the Yomiuri Giants will win the Central League championship.'”

• This one’s right too.

Also from December 15th, 2019.

“‘In March 2020, the Nikkei Stock Average will plummet. Only those who believe will be saved.'”

• It definitely dropped.

Also from December 15th, 2019.

“‘Prime Minister Abe will resign in September 2020.'”

• He resigned on September 16th, 2020.

Also from December 15th, 2019.

“‘Prime Minister Abe’s successor will be the then Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga.'”

• He was appointed Prime Minister on September 16th, 2020.

Also from December 15th, 2019.

“‘By the way, Kawasaki Frontale will win the 2020 J1 League.'”

• It’s like, ‘Right again?!’ but yeah, it’s right.

Finally, a tweet from April 9th, 2020.

“‘The Tokyo Olympics will be held properly on July 23rd, 2021. So don’t worry, even though things are tough now.'”

• This one’s also correct.

So, they nailed all of these perfectly. You know, the usual predictions are vague stuff like, ‘Something bad will happen next year,’ or ‘An earthquake is coming next month, be prepared.’ But Rei Kokubun specified dates and months and got them right, which is amazing. That’s probably why it spread like wildfire.

Alright, from here on, there were various questions from users about the future, and they answered some of them. Let’s take a look.

• Go ahead!

First, questions related to Rei Kokubun. There are 8, let’s look at them all.

• “‘What was your intention in coming to this era?'”

“‘I came to repay the development funds for the time machine in my original time, 2058. I am one of the developers, chosen by the members as suitable for the remittance mission.'”

• “‘Do you know about the procurement of development funds?'”

“‘In 2058, the leader raised about 350 billion yen from volunteers online. In December 2019, the plan is to use my relative’s account to purchase about 1400 Ethereum, bury the hardware wallet in my family’s garden, and dig it up in 2058.'”

• “‘Who are the development members?'”

“‘It’s 13 volunteer graduate students from Japan and other countries. I was selected as the fund remittance person based on the conditions that I haven’t moved from my family home between 2019 and 2058, and that I know my father’s bank account details from when he was alive.'”

• “‘What happens if you can’t return to the future?'”

“‘We have anticipated Emergency Contingency Plan B for the case I cannot return to the future. In that case, the plan is for me to live in this world until 2058 and provide information to the time machine development members. 2019 is set as the time when this is feasible.'”

• “‘Are you the only time traveler?'”

“‘No. There was a researcher who disappeared from an experimental facility in Kameoka, Kyoto in 2056. Actually, that person is Time Traveler No. 1. Later investigations reported they traveled to around 1895-1897, but their whereabouts after that are unknown. If you have any leads, please let me know.'”

• Whoa, are you looking for a missing person on the side?

“‘There was the incident in 2015 where a drone crashed onto the Prime Minister’s office. That was the first time the government moved to revise the aviation law and establish drone regulations. When new concepts and technologies emerge, legal regulations are always implemented after a problem occurs. I might become one such instance.'”

• “‘Where are you now, Mr./Ms. Kokubun?'”

“‘Having finished my mission in the Tohoku region, I am currently heading towards the Kansai region as planned.'”

• “‘Won’t history change if you’ve come here?'”

“‘I don’t know why, but history seems to have a self-correcting mechanism. If you compare the flow of time to a river, it’s like using a small twig to create a tiny whirlpool. I also tried various things to change history, but it didn’t work. It’s my loss.'”

…That was the content.

• So the purpose was to repay the development funds for the time machine.

I guess the time machine technology is still new and not public yet. That’s why there are no laws, and they can kinda do whatever they want?

• It’d be a huge problem if anyone could do it easily.
• The part about history’s self-correction didn’t make much sense, but basically, I think it means the future won’t change.
• It’s funny how Kokubun somehow lost.

Alright then, next up, let’s look at questions about disasters. There are 8 of these too.

• “‘When will the COVID-19 pandemic end?'”

“‘An end declaration will be issued in September 2024.'”

• “‘In the future, will Mt. Fuji erupt, or will the Nankai Trough earthquake happen?'”

“‘No. There are records of the Reiwa 6 Tokachi Offshore Earthquake, a wide-area quake in January 2024, and the Reiwa 19 Okinawa Earthquake, an urban direct-hit quake in January 2037. The latter was particularly tragic, with aftershocks and a typhoon hitting simultaneously in August of the same year, which also led to a review of building codes.'”

• “‘Are you predicting anything?'”

“‘The date signifies it. December 8th, 2019, the date I arrived in this era, is the day the first case of pneumonia of unknown cause was reported by health authorities in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.'”

• “‘Is the COVID-19 vaccine safe?'”

“‘In my time, I don’t hear any significant stories regardless of whether people received it or not. Please think of vaccination as a matter of personal choice.'”

• “‘Were there any memorable volcanic eruptions up to 2058?'”

“‘Yes. Which one was it… Izu Oshima.'”

• “‘Tell me the details of the Tokachi Offshore Earthquake.'”

“‘Wednesday, January 10th, Reiwa 6 (2024). Epicenter: Offshore Tokachi, depth 35km. Maximum seismic intensity 7 (Obihiro, Kushiro, Hiroo Town, etc.). Magnitude 8.3. Tsunami observed (height 3.0-5.0m).'”

• “‘Any new infectious diseases?'”

“‘In the future, SARS-CoV-3, with the Malayan pangolin as an intermediate host, will be confirmed in the mid-2030s. However, this one is dealt with relatively early. Learning from Japan’s COVID-19 experience, government ministries were reorganized for vertical integration of infectious disease countermeasures, so the damage was minimized.'”

• “‘What can we do for future disaster preparedness?'”

“‘In 2058, preparing for compound disasters is common. It might be good to discuss scenarios like ‘What if a typhoon + megaquake’ or ‘infectious disease + large-scale blackout’ hit simultaneously. Please consider this a warning from a future person.'”

…That’s what they said.

• Compound disasters… I saw that somewhere… Wasn’t it the Illuminati cards?
• Ah, that’s it! And they talked about a warning like the Nankai Trough earthquake and a volcanic eruption happening at the same time on ‘Yarisugi Urban Legends’.
• That was the thing about 70-80% chance within 30 years.

According to Rei Kokubun’s tweet, the Tokachi Offshore earthquake and the Mt. Tokachi (?) eruption seem to be the compound disaster. And a new virus is coming mid-2030s, that’s scary.

• Well, if that really happens, it’s frightening.

Okay, moving on to Domestic Affairs (Japan).

• “‘What’s the future era name?'”

“‘It’s the era after Reiwa. It’s called “Bansei” (萬世).'”

• “‘What’s happening in the auto industry?'”

“‘They all became electric vehicles. In 2058, the only domestic car brands are Toyota and Honda. Nissan remained as a brand only in Europe, but Mazda, Subaru, and Mitsubishi Motors couldn’t survive the wave of electrification.'”

• “‘Can you give me a rough idea of this country’s future?'”

“‘GDP is 5th in the world, population is 86 million. The biggest change was the decline of the auto industry. On the other hand, efforts in decarbonization and high-tech agriculture/fisheries will gain international recognition.'”

• “‘Tell me about the convenience store industry.'”

“‘The store layout isn’t much different from now, but stores outside urban areas are almost entirely unmanned. There’s a system to order from your smartphone and have it delivered home, so using that is overwhelmingly more common.'”

• “‘Who is the Prime Minister in 2058?'”

“‘Someone named Mr./Ms. Nakasone.'”

• “‘What are banks like in the future?'”

“‘Banks don’t have physical branches like today. With the introduction of the digital yen, everything is completed online. Many regional banks are somehow maintained with help from the Bank of Japan and the Financial Services Agency of that time. With foreign players like Google entering the market, the mega-banks don’t have the same influence as before.'”

• “‘Will the Northern Territories issue be resolved in the future?'”

“‘It hasn’t been resolved. Russia proceeded with the development of the Kuril Islands/Northern Territories and opened the Arctic shipping route to Europe, which is shorter than the Suez Canal. This is a byproduct of climate change. Japan has given up on the return of the Northern Territories in practice but is developing Etorofu and Kunashiri, reaping significant profits.'”

• “‘Tell me about future railway and transportation infrastructure.'”

“‘I’m not very familiar with railways, but differences from now include the opening of the Linear Chuo Shinkansen at Shinagawa, and the Tokyu Line running to Shin-Yokohama. You can use JR lines to get to Haneda Airport. Tokyo subways also extend into Saitama.'”

• “‘Are there any Japanese cities that will develop remarkably, or the opposite?'”

“‘Cities with remarkable development are Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Nagoya. Conversely, Kobe and Chiba are losing momentum.'”

• “‘Tell me about the future of LGBT issues and same-sex marriage.'”

“‘Same-sex marriage is still not recognized in Japan, but LGBT has become a widely accepted value in society. In 2030, the GSM Agency will be established. This develops from the then-Cabinet Office’s LGBT Policy Promotion Office.'”

• “‘What is Japan’s consumption tax rate in 2058?'”

“‘Consumption tax is 18%. However, it’s 15% for daily necessities.'”

• “‘Has Japan become a permanent member of the UN Security Council?'”

“‘It became a permanent member in the milestone year of 2045, marking [100 years] since the end of the war. There are various rumors about the reasons, such as changes in China’s system up to that point and the geopolitical impact on neighboring countries due to the opening of the Arctic shipping route.'”

• “‘In job hunting in 2058, are there occupations that don’t exist in this era?'”

“‘General office work, so-called administrative jobs, have mostly disappeared. This isn’t meant negatively; it’s because the labor shortage due to the declining birthrate became severe, leading to the expansion of task automation.'”

• “‘Are there any environmental problems that are issues in the future?'”

“‘The mega-solar problem becomes serious. Especially in regional cities, there are endless cases where solar power facilities whose business activities have ceased are not dismantled and remain abandoned as garbage on the land.'”

• “‘Have there been changes in working styles?'”

“‘A system is established where job seekers who received childcare leave benefits are treated as new graduates. Especially for women, examples of getting married and having children during university/junior college and then starting their first job have increased. However, I have the impression that there was considerable conflict before this system was established. Since this system was introduced, it became possible for women to continue working at the same company until near retirement age without quitting for childbirth or childcare. By the way, the first female Prime Minister of Japan introduced this system.'”

• “‘Tell me about social problems that will occur.'”

“‘The phenomenon of records of events from the 2020s, which were only recorded in online news, being lost due to broken links and not being preserved in print media becomes a social problem. This issue is also called ‘Humanity’s Memory Loss’ and later leads to a re-evaluation of print media.'”

• “‘Basic income in the future?'”

“‘It will be realized, albeit on a small scale, only for musical leads starting in 2027. Payments are linked to the My Number system, and any unused portion is automatically returned every six months. However, its effectiveness is debated because the payment amount doesn’t increase with inflation.'”

• “‘Can you smoke cannabis in the future?'”

“‘Cannabis will be gradually legalized starting in the 2040s under strict government control. The purpose is the complete eradication of the illegal drug market by the government and its taxation. By the way, you can only purchase it from a special corporation supervised by the Ministry of Finance. It’s like the old salt and tobacco monopoly corporations.'”

• “‘Tell me some big news happening in future Japan.'”

“‘A huge undersea oil field will be discovered off the coast of Fukushima/Sanriku. It’s said that if it had been found 50 years earlier, the relationship between the world and Japan would have been completely different.'”

• “‘What’s happening in Japan’s aviation industry?'”

“‘Although there was government-led industry restructuring, the players haven’t changed. However, for political reasons, major airlines operate flights to China through separate subsidiary companies. Also, US airlines operate on some domestic routes and local lines in Japan.'”

• “‘Were there any new Intangible Cultural Heritages in the future?'”

“‘Regarding Intangible Cultural Heritage, as far as I know, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, calligraphy, and swordsmithing have been added. There should have been others, but honestly, my memory is vague. Sorry.'”

• “‘What’s the work style like in future companies?'”

“‘Companies generally have a mandatory retirement age of 50 for non-specialist positions, and many have re-employment systems. Basically, side jobs are permitted for everyone except managers, and some side jobs are hired on a project basis rather than year-round.'”

• “‘Tell me about Japan’s nuclear policy.'”

“‘In 2051, Japan’s last nuclear power plant, Hokkaido’s Tomari Unit 2, will cease operation. Japan’s decommissioning record from Fukushima is later highly evaluated internationally, and its nuclear decommissioning technology, considered the world’s safest, becomes a new export industry for Japan.'”

• “‘Has inequality disappeared in the future?'”

“‘It’s somewhat serious. In the future, the fixation of social strata due to same-educational-background marriages is becoming a problem. Women with university degrees marry men with university degrees, and women with high school diplomas marry men with high school diplomas, resulting in household income directly reflecting this educational background. This is considered a negative consequence that became apparent half a century after dual-income households became common.'”

• “‘I want to know about real estate in the future.'”

“‘As a result of the increase in people leading lifestyles without daily commutes due to the spread of remote work and autonomous driving, real estate in suburbs and rural areas is popular. On the other hand, in city centers, tower mansions that experienced a construction boom in the 2010s become a social problem. This is due to the soaring costs of maintenance and repairs.'”

Right, that covers the questions about domestic affairs.

• That was long! Well, I guess a lot of people wanted to know about these things.
• So the nuclear power plants will stop operating in 2051.

We’re decarbonizing now, right? It seems nuclear power is being re-evaluated in that context. But there’s also focus on renewables like wind power, so it’s hard to predict how things will actually turn out.

• The stuff about broken links for news articles is interesting. It feels strangely real. In the past, things remained as physical objects, so you can see them in museums, but information that’s deleted… ordinary people can’t find it, right? Maybe insiders could if it’s saved in a database. The possibility is kinda chilling.
• Also, 18% consumption tax is shocking.

We complain about 10% being high now, but thinking it’ll almost double makes my head spin. By the way, apparently the world’s highest consumption tax rate is Hungary’s at 27%.

• Whoa! But apparently, their education and welfare systems are very robust because of it.
• Then maybe future Japan’s systems will become even more generous.

Okay, let’s move on to the World Affairs section.

• “‘What was China like in the world you came from?'”

“‘In our time, to distinguish it from the current Chinese government, it’s called “Kakoku” (華国). Due to domestic turmoil in the late 2030s, it was in a state of multiple governments for a long time.'”

• “‘Were there any appearances of new nations?'”

“‘In Europe, Catalonia and Scotland. In Asia, Taiwan.'”

• “‘What’s the price of Bitcoin in 2058?'”

“‘If my memory serves me right, 1 Bitcoin is about 780 million yen. In my time, transactions are sell-only; new purchases are not allowed.'”

• “‘Which countries have economic power in 2058?'”

“‘If you look only at GDP, India and Kakoku (current China) are at the top. The second tier includes the US, Indonesia, Germany, and Japan. If you look purely at growth rate, India is top.'” (Note: Original text mentioned India twice in the second tier, likely a typo, substituted Indonesia based on common economic projections)

• “‘Tell me about the relationship between Japan, China, and Russia.'”

“‘After Russia opened the Arctic shipping route, Kakoku softened its stance towards Japan. This is because for Chinese ships to reach Europe via the shortest route without going through the Suez Canal, they need to pass through Japan’s Tsugaru Strait. Japan-Russia relations also dramatically improve through their strategy towards China.'”

• “‘Tell me about the future movements of the US.'”

“‘The US military will gradually withdraw from former Eastern Bloc countries like Iran, which are sources of oil resources, and will focus primarily on deterring China’s activities in the Pacific. Consider the global move by developed countries towards de-oiling and decarbonization as preparation for this.'”

• “‘They say a space elevator will be completed by 2050, is that true?'”

“‘It’s not completed. But there are construction plans in Singapore, near the equator. Japanese general contractors are also involved.'”

• “‘Tell me about the effects of climate change.'”

“‘The environments where crops can be grown will change. To put it simply, the areas in Japan where rice can be grown will become quite limited.'”

• “‘Tell me about the relationship between India and China in 2058.'”

“‘Relations between Kakoku and India are extremely poor, both economically and militarily. This is because, despite achieving democratization in practice, global hegemony through the Chinese economic sphere remains Kakoku’s spiritual pillar. There is particular conflict over the rights to the space elevator in the Strait of Malacca.'”

• “‘Were the SDGs achieved by 2030?'”

“‘Unfortunately, the situation could not be called an achievement. Particularly, climate change and human rights awareness in some countries worsened further. Subsequently, the ‘Sustainable Development Obligations’ aiming for achievement by 2045 will be established in Geneva.'”

• “‘Tell me about future military affairs.'”

“‘Globally, the importance of outer space beyond the atmosphere increases, and disarmament proceeds in the Mediterranean. Also, EMP (electromagnetic pulse) attacks from space, premised on being non-destructive and non-lethal, become a threat. In the 2030s, China falls behind the US in space strategy, and friction between the space forces and the Communist Party becomes a trigger for the later coup.'”

• “‘What is Kakoku?'”

“‘We call China after November 2039, when the Kakoku military occupied the Supreme People’s Court and the People’s Bank of China following the coup, Kakoku.'”

• “‘Tell me about the future of Thailand.'”

“‘This was a very common question. In the future, it becomes a hopeful country where there’s no problem wearing red on Sunday or yellow on Monday. Please come visit Japan when ‘that thing’ is over. I’m rooting for you.'”

…That was the content.

• That last question, why were so many people asking about Thailand’s future?

It’s probably because actual Thai people were asking. If you look at the follower list, there are quite a few international accounts. And if you search ‘Rei Kokubun’ on YouTube, lots of videos by Thai YouTubers introducing him pop up, so it became a topic worldwide.

• I see. It’s a shame the space elevator isn’t finished. I wanna easily go to space and look down on Earth.
• Also, the value of Bitcoin, isn’t that insane?

About 780 million yen per Bitcoin… the current value is about 5.4 million yen per Bitcoin (※at the time of video creation), so that’s about 148 times higher.

• If I buy 100,000 yen worth now, it would become about 15 million yen… if it’s true.
• …I’ll pass.

Okay, finally, the ‘Other’ questions. Personally, I think this part is the most interesting.

• Really looking forward to it!
• “‘What were future iPhones like?'”

“‘Even in 2058, devices equivalent to the iPhone series exist. They are 2mm thick, about the size of a credit card. Unlike now, wallets are unnecessary in this era, so carrying them in a pass case is trendy.'”

• “‘Are flying cars in practical use?'”

“‘Flying cars are in practical use. However, their use is limited to emergency vehicles and logistics in rural areas and remote islands.'”

• “‘Future person’s privilege, tell me about horse racing.'”

“‘Sorry. I didn’t bother memorizing past horse racing results, so I can’t answer.'”

• “‘Are there any things you found retro when you came to this era?'”

“‘Yes. Wi-Fi routers and wired LAN. I knew about them conceptually, but seeing them in person felt retro. By the way, in the future, you can communicate using only the power outlet.'”

• “‘Will aliens or extraterrestrial life be confirmed by 2058?'”

“‘They will be confirmed within the solar system. I believe they were discovered on a moon of either Jupiter or Saturn. Sorry for the vague answer. But it’s not in the too distant future.'”

• “‘Are there other things you felt nostalgic about coming to this era?'”

“‘Plastic bottles felt nostalgic. Also, taxis.'”

• “‘Is there anything you want to tell the young people of today?'”

“‘From my generation’s perspective, I’m young too, so I can’t really preach, but young people should really adhere to self-restraint measures to prevent the spread of infection. My parents are from that generation, and everyone in that generation regrets it.'”

• “‘I want to become a YouTuber now, but I’m torn between that and getting a job at a large corporation like my parents told me to.'”

“‘An employee of a famous tech company sued after being fired for not complying with the company’s demand to stop using their account. The Supreme Court will rule the dismissal unfair. However, this is 10 years from now, so take it for what it’s worth.'”

• “‘What surprised you when you came to the past?'”

“‘How different the actual scenery was from the textbook interpretation of history.'”

• “‘Conversely, is there anything you want to tell the elderly?'”

“‘I’d like them to understand that one year of self-restraint experienced by teenagers and one year experienced by someone who has lived to 70 have completely different weights and senses of despair. This was actively debated in future Japan. They are sometimes called the ‘Youth Lost Generation.'”

• “‘Are there any foods that won’t be taken over by AI in the future?'”

“‘Yes. Clams, scallops, oysters, etc. In 2058, it’s difficult to obtain non-toxic shellfish, and they have become ultra-luxury ingredients.'”

• “‘Is Twitter Blue coming?'” (Note: This question likely refers to the paid subscription service.)

“‘The iPhone for status, shiny images, strong tones, or empathy… these will become unnecessary in future SNS.'” (Note: The answer seems metaphorical or dismissive of current trends rather than a direct yes/no about Twitter Blue itself).

• “‘Is it true that fake videos will increase and young people will move away from videos?'”

“‘Sorry if I caused a misunderstanding. To be precise, the value of unalterable live video will dramatically increase compared to recorded footage. Isn’t this already happening on platforms like YouTube in this era?'”

• “‘Digital signage in the future?'”

“‘In the future, digital signage is ubiquitous. Just by carrying your personal OS device in your pocket, you can freely operate screens around town. However, since you can’t display private content prominently in public, devices equivalent to smartphones will still remain in 2058.'”

• “‘In our time, ‘tori-tetsu’ (train photographers causing problems) are an issue. How is it in the future?'”

“‘Due to revisions in the Railway Business Act, photographing railway vehicles from within station premises now requires prior application and permission. This is a lesson learned from a mass fall accident involving photographers that occurred in Nagoya.'”

• “‘Are there any differences between pets in the future and how they’re kept now?'”

“‘For household pets, it becomes possible to detect their health status through their excrement, automatically notifying their regular veterinarian. By the way, in 2058, public toilets equipped with illegal drug detection capabilities are installed in Shibuya and Shinjuku with Tokyo Metropolitan Government funding.'”

• “‘What video service will become popular after YouTube and TikTok?'”

“‘bilibili. As advertising regulations tighten due to US influence, limiting video content on YouTube, bilibili will explode in user numbers, especially among Generation Alpha, taking YouTube’s place. By the way, it doesn’t support Japanese in the present day.'”

• “‘Is there anything like, ‘Save this for the future’?'”

“‘The new, unopened cloth masks distributed by the government to all households in April 2020. It became a topic when one sold for 100,000 yen in an online auction from this era. There’s an anecdote: ‘Turns out they were actually distributing 100,000 yen vouchers back then.'”

“‘In 2024, a massive virtual currency transfer will be made by an American businessman from Earth to a probe on Mars. Even if you were wealthy on Earth, you can’t take gold bars or real estate into space. Establishing a method for preserving human wealth in space is key to space colonization.'”

• “‘Tell me about unsolved cases as of 2058.'”

“‘In 2031, when the digital yen and old banknotes were used concurrently, the largest post-war counterfeit money circulation incident occurred, involving 6.5 billion yen. The method was to claim the rarity value of old banknotes was increasing and exchange them for digital yen. Young people, particularly fascinated by the old banknotes, were targeted.'”

• “‘How can YouTubers succeed?'”

“‘With the collapse of the Great Firewall following China’s regime change in 2039, about 1.4 billion people in China will start viewing YouTube. Recognition in China at that point became the deciding factor for Japanese YouTubers. Those who took the initiative had already become famous on Chinese SNS.'”

• “‘Cup noodles in 2058?'”

“‘259 yen including tax, regular size. Maybe a little more expensive than now.'”

• “‘Future trends?'”

“‘There’s a search engine feature called ‘Timesurfing’ that reproduces search results from a favorite past time. It’s a pseudo-time machine existing only within the internet. Quite a few elderly people are really into it.'”

• “‘Cancel culture/Online outrage in the future?'”

“‘There was a member of parliament who resigned after discriminatory remarks made on SNS during their teens caused an uproar. People born in the 2000s, especially, live in an era where their statements are monitored by those around them until death, demanding consistency in their words and actions throughout.'”

• “‘Will the singularity by artificial intelligence really come?'”

“‘It’s coming. The impression is more like, ‘We realized it had already happened.’ Through it, the meaning of studying and the reason for working are changing. In the future, an ideological movement begins where humanity tries to counter artificial intelligence with its collective intelligence. This movement is based on the belief that the results devised by humanity pooling its wisdom can definitely outperform AI. Humanity’s invention of the internet and SNS is the only means to counter this AI. So, please don’t give up.'”

• “‘Besides the Abenomask, is there anything else you’d say ‘Save this for the future’?'”

“‘Stamps. Even now, those from the Meiji/Taisho eras are traded at high prices, but in my time, stamps themselves are rare.'”

• “‘Will ‘kira-kira names’ (unconventional, often sparkly-sounding given names) become unrestricted in the future?'”

“‘Yes. As humanity continues to search and record the names of people who lived in the past, the phenomenon of the internet being flooded with people having the same first and last names occurs in the future. This trend becomes more pronounced as more people work without belonging to an organization.'”

That was the content.

• Abenomasks selling for 100,000 yen… You never know what will become valuable, maybe we should think twice before throwing things away.
• They gave tips for YouTubers’ success. True, China’s population is massive. Something getting a little buzz could turn into a huge whirlwind.
• Also, the ‘Youth Lost Generation’ story, I totally get that… With COVID spreading, school trips were canceled, and they held cruel events like virtual tours of Kyoto online.
• You can already do that at home with Google Maps…
• About the toilet thing, they said you can check health from waste in the future, but LIXIL had already developed a prototype back in 2019.

Whoa! LIXIL is amazing!

• Also, the iPhone becoming card-type was a bit underwhelming.
• Yeah, not foldable, or rollable, or glasses-type, or contact lens-type… just getting thinner lacks imagination. I wanted to play Dennou Coil…
• Oh, and that ‘Timesurfing’ game popular in the future? The search engine feature that reproduces search results from a past time you like?

Yeah, yeah.

• You’ve been able to do that for ages with the Wayback Machine.

Wha… Well, let’s just assume it made a comeback.

• Yeah, let’s go with that.

Alright, let’s move on to the analysis time, shall we?

• That took a while!

So, let’s think about who Rei Kokubun really is. The predictions were accurate, and the answers to questions seemed pretty plausible, but…

• You mean there’s a possibility they’re a fake future person?

Exactly. Let’s jump to the conclusion. Here’s my take on Rei Kokubun!

Personally, I think they’re fake, but I can’t prove it, so I don’t know for sure. However, similar things can be replicated.

• So the conclusion is, we don’t know if they’re a future person or not, right?

Yeah. But it means anyone could do it if they wanted to.

• Okay, let’s hear the reasons for thinking that.

Okay, there are 4 reasons. First, replicable prediction methods. Actually, specifically for Twitter, there are two ways to replicate predictions.

• Oh? What methods?

One is using a private account trick. First, create a new Twitter account. Then, make it private. At this point, spam prediction tweets. For example, with the medal count, tweet things like, “Gold medals: 1,” “Gold medals: 2,” and so on, making lots of predictions.

• I see.

Then, when the prediction comes true, delete all the other tweets. Finally, unlock the account and make it public…

• You can make it look like the prediction came true!

The other method, though I couldn’t test if it still works, involves using an external service called Twilog… no wait, I think it was twittbot. It supposedly allowed changing the date of scheduled tweets…

• Hmm, hmm.

There was news for a while about a user named Chan-san predicting the new era name “Reiwa” before it was announced, but they claimed to have faked it using twittbot.

• Then maybe that’s the reason!

…However, if you look closely at the Twitter ID, it has an extra “i”. So there’s a possibility of impersonation, and it’s unclear if it’s true. I actually tried to test it, but twittbot had stopped accepting new registrations, so I couldn’t.

• So this remains just a possibility, then.

Exactly. That’s the replication method. Moving on, the second reason I think they’re not a future person: they only made prediction tweets before becoming famous.

• The hit prediction tweets were almost all on December 15th. Oh, but the last one about the Tokyo Olympics date was tweeted on April 9th.

Actually, the date for the Tokyo Olympics had already been announced on March 30th.

• So, it was information anyone could know, not just a future person?

Well, there was a lot of noise about whether it would be postponed or not, so maybe it was meant as reassurance. And related to this second reason is the third one: the prediction tweets only have recent replies.

• What do you mean?

For example, the first prediction tweets were made around the end of 2019, right? When do you think the earliest reply to those tweets was dated?

• Hmm, looking at the Nikkei stock crash prediction tweet, people would know if it crashed by March, so… maybe the earliest reply was around April 2020?

I checked this using Twitter’s advanced search function… the earliest reply was on August 9th, 2021.

• What!? That’s way later!?

Yes. Conversely, it means there wasn’t a single reply until then. That’s highly suspicious.

• Hmm…

And the final reason for thinking they’re not a future person: They only made tweets that couldn’t be verified.

• You mean after they finished setting up the tricks?

Right. And, you saw the list of questions and answers earlier, but they were all about 2050 or quite far in the future, weren’t they?

• Well, they came from 2058, so naturally, they’d know more about that era, right?

Maybe, but then the initial point about Abe resigning is strange, isn’t it? Suga was replaced by Kishida, wasn’t that also pretty major news?

• True. What about the variant strains, or Mako and Komuro’s marriage? Weren’t those pretty big news?

But they didn’t touch on any of that, only talking about the distant future. In other words, making it impossible to verify, or perhaps hoping everyone would forget by then.

Also, and this is highly subjective, but when Kokubun supposedly failed to return to the future…

“Don’t return. Don’t go back.”

This tweet felt so staged, it really killed the mood for me.

• Well, maybe they were genuinely panicking…

Oh, and by the way, there’s also a false rumor spread by skeptics: “They tweeted 121 times in total, but a tool showed 600!” This is completely false.

• What tool?

An analysis tool called whotwi. It shows a tweet count, and people see “Oh, there are 600!” but actually, that’s just the default value. Anyone using it starts at 600.

• Right, so that’s not evidence.
• But hey, if they’re not a future person, why claim to be one in the first place?

There could be various motives: boredom, wanting fame, admiring Okabe Rintaro (from Steins;Gate), wanting to leave behind the whole sequence as a work of art, perhaps.

• ‘A work of art,’ huh. Like a new form of sci-fi novel. Kind of like a Twitter version of John Titor.

If we consider money-making motives, maybe they wanted to increase followers and sell the account, or boost the value of Ethereum and Bitcoin mentioned in the tweets.

• I see.

So, to conclude once more: Personally, I think they’re fake, but I can’t prove it, so I don’t know for sure. However, similar things can be replicated.

• Okay, that’s somewhat convincing.

But you know, I think Rei Kokubun is pretty amazing. A fantastic entertainer.

• In what way?

Their ideas are interesting. The fact that you can’t be 100% sure if they’re fake or not. And how they left saying “Japan’s future is bright.” When the atmosphere was heavy due to COVID-19, they brought some energy to certain people. I think they’re a great entertainer for that.

• Ah, by the way, at the beginning, I asked “Did they tweet their gender and height?” and you said “We’ll find out the source later.” What was that about?

Yeah, actually, a reporter from Nikkan SPA! interviewed Rei Kokubun directly, and that’s where the height and gender were mentioned.

• A future person who meets up with reporters!

It seems the interview took place in a park the day before their return to the future on September 28th, but even then, they didn’t reveal their true identity and responded to the interview as a future person until the end.

• Maybe we should just accept they’re a future person?

Yeah, at this point, whether they’re actually from the future doesn’t really matter. I don’t know if everyone feels this way, but I found this whole story of Kokubun’s really interesting and entertaining, so I’m grateful.

• It became a topic not just in Japan, but around the world.

I’ve shared my own conclusion, but maybe it’s uncool to just declare “It’s fake!”

• Maybe it’s best to just enjoy it for what it is, as a piece of entertainment.

Yeah.