One month later. The phone on the Youichi’s desk rang.

“Hello, this is Director General, Fujita speaking. Mr. Koyama, come to my office immediately”

Youichi was surprised. It was very rare for the Youichi level official to be called to the Director General’s office directly. Youichi felt something uneasy.

“Mr. Koyama, what did you do? Prime Minister, PM Tanaka nominated you to come to his Official Residence.”

“Prime Minister? Why me? What is his subject?”

“I don’t know. Then I ask you now. And I cannot understand why PM knows your name. Don’t you have anything in your mind, do you?”

“No, nothing special.”

“Really? Anyhow, prepare for the meeting. 2 o’clock tomorrow.”

The next day. At the Official Residence of Prime Minister.

They are waiting for the meeting in the antechamber. The Director General was jiggling his knee with strain. It is unthinkable for normal officials to see the Prime Minister directly.

“Thank you for waiting. Now prepared.”

The Secretary came to attend them to the PM’s office.

“Mr. Fujita, Director General, you may stay here. Only Mr. Koyama, please come with me.”

Surprising again. The Secretary appointed only Youichi. Why? What is going on?

The Director General Fujita sat down with losing his heart. The PM may have no business with him, his target is only Youichi.

The Prime Minister’s Office was located at the end of the long corridor.

“Come in."

The door opened. At a sight Youichi was stiffened with heavy members in the room. There were many familiar faces on TV. At the center of the round table the Prime Minister Tanaka took a seat. Others were the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Environment and the Minister of Defense and some other VIP. What is beginning now?”

“Thank you for coming, Mr. Koyama. I’m sorry taking your time.”

At first the Prime Minister opened his mouth.

“I have heard your name from Ambassador to China. There is a person who speaks an interesting story. I would like to hear it, too.”

Youichi finally knew the purpose to be called here today. He got very nervous but no reason to refuse. He explained his Ice Age Theory as he did before.

After his presentation, an unexpected word came out from the Prime Minister.

“Curious. It is really similar to that report.”

That report? What did he mean by that?

“Mr. Koyama. How did you get your Theory?”

“It’s my original. I had never seen any similar study before.”

“Look at this.”

The Prime Minister threw out one report on the table. Looking at its title Youichi was astonished. It was “Ice Age after Global Warming”. Furthermore the source of the report was the Science Academy of Republic of China.

Was Youichi’s study stolen by China? No. It was issued 5 years ago. Of course, Youichi could not steal it from China. That meant two similar studies had been issued by different sources independently.

“I had got that report through Japanese Embassy to China secretly. At first I neglected it. Too ridiculous. But as you know the result of COP26 Conference, China had refused toughly to agree to the Joint Communique to the last. I felt there was something. Then I had heard your story from the Ambassador.”

Youichi turned over the pages of the Report and confirmed it was not a copy of his study. It was similar but apparently written by different sources.

The Prime Minster Tanaka continued.

“The problem is ‘To be or not to be, that is the question.’ What shall we do? What do you think Japan should go which way? Global Warming or Ice Age?”

Nobody answered.

“At first it would be better for us to report this to the President of the United States. Providing such important information is decided by the Japan-US Security Treaty.”

The Minister of Defense recommended.

“Do you really think so? Is it the best selection for Japan? We have to consider carefully. At first I would like to hear the opinion of the specialist. Well, Mr. Koyama, what do you think?”

Youichi was embarrassed to request his opinion.

“I am not a politician, but the current global warming will proceed a little more, perhaps until 2100. But thereafter a steep temperature declining will occur all over the world and will enter into the next Ice Age until 2200.”

“In that case what will become of Japan and the world?”

“I cannot say exactly now, but maybe the upper area above the north latitude 40 degrees will be covered with thick glaciers. In Japan Hokkaido will be under thick ice bed and the average temperature will decline by 10 degrees.”

“Hmm. It is terrible. Hokkaido will be disappeared. How about China? China will be also covered with glaciers, won’t it?”

“No, not at all. China is the vast country. Even if Beijing will be covered with glaciers, other southern area like Hong Kong and Shanghai will be more moderate and livable places.”

“That’s it. That is the persuasive reason why China is so concerned with Hong Kong, Taiwan and the South China Sea. And how about Europe and US?”

“Provably more than half of Europe excluding Italy and Greece will be buried under the glacier. Concerning the US, only Texas and Miami area will be able to survive.”

“Hmm. I am gradually getting closer to an answer.”

Thereafter the meeting will enter into the decisive conclusion.

“Well, one more thing. If the new Ice Age comes, the sea level will go down by 100 meters. It is just a reverse case of the Global Warming. The Continental Shelfs around Japan will be ebbed away and the coast lines will recede by 100 kilometers. Furthermore huge islands will appear around Okinawa and Ogasawara. Both the Global Warming and the Ice Age will affect the oceans as such.”

When Prime Minister Tanaka heard this, he got excited much more.

“Ahaha! Everyone, did you hear that? Japanese territory will become twice by the Ice Age. The offshore resource development will become as we like. Even if the Hokkaido will be under the glaciers, we will get more than that.”

“Prime Minister. That means we will follow China, won’t we? How about the US?”

“Everyone, consider carefully. However friendly it is, the relationship with US is only for 80 years after the Pacific War. On the contrary the relationship with China has been continued more than one thousand years since the Tang China Period. Furthermore China is the closest big country. From the defense viewpoint it is apparent to follow which country.”

Youichi had heard the top secret of the Government at last.

To be continued