In the April 1920 edition of the Nihon Oyobi Nihonjin magazine, 370 prominent figures shared their predictions for Japan in 100 years. From a five-fold increase in population to a shift towards English as a second language, the forecasts varied widely.
Sakio Tsurumi anticipated a population of 260 million by 2020, far exceeding the actual count. Professor Riichiro Hoashi believed education would be a top priority for government spending, which has not been the case due to an aging populace. Yaichiro Isobe envisioned kanji being replaced by English, a scenario far from reality today.
Despite some misses, there were accurate predictions too. Rinketsu Shikitsu foresaw a longer life expectancy, now a reality at 80-90 years compared to 42-43 years in the 1920s. Ayahiko Ishibashi’s vision of solar energy utilization has also come to fruition.