REIWA JIGOKUHEN - Chaotic Disturbance of Reiwa Era

Chapter 89 - Survival Strategy

Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo: Prime Minister's Office

"I guess that settles it for now regarding fossil fuels."

Iida, the head of the Economic Affairs Division, who was wearing two pairs of sandals, spoke in the conference room assigned to the Disaster Response Headquarters. The room is usually packed with bureaucrats, but there were relatively few people there today. It was a little early for the Bon vacations, but everyone was probably overworked, so the task force members had been instructed to take a vacation.

In addition, every TV channel was showing the Hinomaru tanker at the Port of Long Beach. The crude oil stockpiled around the port was being seized and loaded. Full supply from the Kern County oil fields will not be available for some time, but it will be important to watch it with families.

"The Allies are falling apart, and the Latin American countries are expected to surrender at the same time as the Panama Canal Zone is overrun. Venezuela, in particular, has a crude oil supply capacity of about 30 million kiloliters per year, and it is estimated that 85 million kiloliters per year can be secured in California and under the former military rule. If the Soviet Union agrees to a ceasefire, we will hit the 100 million mark."

"I guess you could say we are out of the critical level."

Muto, the conference leader who doubles as both assistant to the Prime Minister and minister in charge of disaster response, nodded in agreement.

"Travel by car will still be difficult, but we don't have to think about the collapse of the nation's economy."

"That being the case, we need to sit down and think about the future," Director Ohashi of the National Security Bureau continued in a somber tone. "In short, we cannot escape the possibility of a recurrence of a Time-Space Cataclysm as long as we have not made any progress in determining the cause of the disaster. We do not even know when and in what form it will happen a second time, but as a nation, we cannot afford not to be prepared. We can call it a groundless fear, but the sky has already fallen."

"Therefore, I have asked you all to consider measures to prepare for another Time-Space Cataclysm."

With these words, Muto announced the start of the study group. The scenario was that 'all of Japan will slip back in time to the end of the Edo period within ten years.'

"First of all, we believe that we can cope with the situation by maintaining the current food supply."

With the projected data behind him, Todo, Director of the Food Security Office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, assured the participants.

"Due to the progress of various policies aimed at increasing self-sufficiency, the calorie-based food self-sufficiency ratio in 10 years is estimated to be approximately 70%. By combining this with the strategic food reserves of grains, soybeans, and feedstuffs, which are planned to be greatly expanded, we have concluded that it is possible to maintain calorie supply for X+5 years and stabilize food supply by conducting agricultural development overseas during this period. In addition, a research institute under our jurisdiction is currently conducting a demonstration experiment for the early establishment of a modern agricultural system based on agricultural production in other countries, which, in combination with the ongoing overseas case studies, may enable us to get on track at an earlier stage."

"I see."

Sliding the PDF file created by Todo on his tablet, Muto hummed. In Manchuria, where the Green Revolution was brought in somewhat forcefully, agricultural production seemed to be picking up, partly due to the early demobilization of the Kwantung Army, which had been largely ineffective in the war against the Soviet Union. However, in the mid-19th century, it is possible that the education level of the local labor force may have been lower.