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Gundam creator Tomino (84) warns we're on the brink of World War 3, wanting Japan to take action towards world peace
He criticizes Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine, new US-Israel conflicts, and even Gundam fans make pro-war statements
Yoshiyuki Tomino's full column (Q.298) in May 2026 Animage:
"Even if it's unpleasant to say, I've felt for more than 80 years now that things are only getting worse. And now, just before something like a third world war could break out, we're standing right at that brink.
That doesn't mean I can say anything particularly profound. Still, in an age where nuclear weapons could be used at any moment, I believe we've entered a time where we need to speak about these issues properly.
I've heard stories from people who lived in Hiroshima, and about university students who were exposed to the atomic bomb. But I haven't had those kinds of experiences myself. Even so, I do have a real sense that "this is where we are now," and in that sense, I think I've at least been able to think about war in a somewhat concrete way.
I’ve tried to put those thoughts into works like Gundam. And yet, even among so-called Gundam fans, there are people who go so far as to make pro-war statements.
There are many otaku, and for them it all ends as entertainment, as a kind of hobby. And in the end, perhaps nothing of substance is truly getting across.
It's now been over four years since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and yet Russia still does not call it a war, insisting it is a "special military operation." Within Russia, the media is restricted to the point that they are not even allowed to use the word "war."
In other words, they lack the imagination to take responsibility for war themselves. And because of that, wars can be started all too easily.
Since April of this year, we've also seen new conflicts involving the United States and Israel. In the United States, the political power base is supported by what are referred to as white evangelical Christians, and that shapes how decisions are made.
If, for example, the supply of oil were to be cut off, what would happen? We wouldn't even be able to use electricity, and our culture itself would no longer be sustainable. In recent years, nuclear fusion has been discussed as a highly safe energy source, but it's not something that can be put into practical use anytime soon.
To be blunt, humanity likely needs to reduce its population to about ⅓ of its current level. We've already been pushed to that kind of limit.
Looking at examples like Nazi Germany, you can see how far things can go. In the end, dictatorships are often what people tend to desire.
Because when everything is decided through elections, those results ultimately reflect the will of the people. In that sense, that's exactly what Japan is right now... and yet the public doesn't even realize it.
That's why, somehow, I want Japan to take action toward achieving world peace.
Speaking as just one of the ignorant masses, that's all I can really say."
