With a new decade upon us, I decided it better time than any to look to the future and see what it holds for the land of the rising sun. Some like to look at what tomorrow or the next year will bring. I, on the other hand, like to look to the far future much like a certain late night talk show host. So, without further ado, I think it’s time we look into the future. That’s right, all the way to the year 3000…

In the year 3000….
Giant mechs will become commonplace, having all but replaced automobiles. With the extinction of automobiles, this leads to the underground culture of tricking out one’s car shifting to tricking out one’s mech. The term for these mechs? Rice robots.

In the year 3000….
PBS begins broadcasting worldwide. The program This Old House is transformed into This Old Robot, Sesame Street celebrates its 1,034th season, and surprisingly, old reruns of Bob Ross’ painting show become a hit in Japan. This spurs a resurgence of interest in painting trees as well as keeping pet squirrels.

In the year 3000….
Pre-Y3K hysteria devastates Japan, leaving 15,000 dead. Consequently, nothing happens come January 1st and life goes on.

In the year 3000….
Japan adopts a sushi-only diet. The world’s fish supply is decimated.

In the year 3000….
The long and bloody, 110 year console war ends with 23 million dead. The warring company factions sign an armistice treaty and merge into Sontendosoft. The newly formed company soon launches its first system along with a handful of launch titles - Super Mario Bros. 637, Neo Halo (a remake of the popular 2945 title), and Gran Turismo 5.

In the year 3000….
Japan conquers Hong Kong and renames it Neo Tokyo. Why? Because it can.

In the year 3000….
The fad of marrying video game and anime characters is taken to the next level when Takamoto Miyafune and his wife Jill Valentine give birth to a bouncing fake baby boy, Yamano Valentine Miyafune. The family soon appear on their own reality tv show - My Fake Family.