From the plot developments of the Japanese drama “The Empty Fortunes,” predict when the war between the U.S. and Iran will end.

Adapted from the eponymous novel by author Toyoko Yamasaki, the Japanese drama “The Wasteland” (“Fumōchi-tai”) reveals the tightly intertwined interests of energy and geopolitics through the rise and fall of postwar Japanese trading companies in international power games. The plot refers to the Middle East conflict as the Third World War, depicts the United States assisting Israel in attacking Middle Eastern countries, and has a so-called divine prediction of the current U.S.-Israel-Iran war scenario. In the story, the main character, Ikıchi Masakazu (壹岐正主), argues that the war will end immediately, bringing rich revenue to Kinki Trading Company through his position. This article compares the plot developments with the current situation involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, analyzing the logic of political and business interests behind today’s conflicts. If events follow the trajectory of “The Wasteland,” the war will be about to end; and after the war, it will create profits for many private companies.

The main character of “The Wasteland,” Ikıchi Masakazu, predicts the Middle East war will end quickly

In “The Wasteland,” the main character Ikıchi Masakazu (played by Takan) demonstrates precise intelligence-analysis skills. In particular, during the Third World War described in the drama, he accurately predicts that the Suez Canal (Suez Canal) blockade would cause shipping costs to rise, obtaining key intelligence through Israel’s pipeline. In the plot, when most Japanese companies misjudge that the war will turn into a prolonged standoff, Ikıchi Masakazu argues for a short-term war strategy: purchasing in large quantities when prices are at their lowest, then releasing the stockpiled goods when prices are driven up to their highest point, allowing Kinki Trading Company to gain enormous profits. This logic reflects the high sensitivity of international trade to war. Today’s Middle East conflicts—such as the safety of the Strait of Hormuz shipping route—directly affect global oil prices, freight rates, and supply chains. War intelligence is not only about the military; it determines the survival of energy supply chains and national economies.

Energy sovereignty is currently in the hands of the United States

The drama’s climax centers on the development of Middle East oil fields, emphasizing that energy is a nation’s lifeline. The time-space background of “The Wasteland” is the Showa era, when Japan struggled through the oil crisis, and trading companies spared no expense to invest heavily and form a joint venture with the U.S. Orion Oil to counter international competitors such as West Germany. By contrast, although the United States has achieved energy self-sufficiency through shale gas (Shale Gas), maintaining stability in the Middle East and ensuring that crude oil is priced in U.S. dollars—such authority—still remains a key support for global financial hegemony. Whether it is the drama’s competition for mining areas or today’s sanctions and standoffs over Iran’s oil exports, the potential motivations for war point toward control of strategic resources rather than conflicts of religion or ideology.

An entangled, symbiotic political relationship

“The Wasteland” vividly depicts the complex symbiotic relationship among trading companies, the military, political factions, and zaibatsu. Even in the aircraft procurement cases in the early episodes, many episodes of political and economic power struggles are shown. This kind of “staff culture” can also be traced in the current U.S. support for Israel. Powerful U.S. AI and the military-industrial complex (Military-Industrial Complex), along with lobbying groups, play a crucial role in pushing military aid. Israel is viewed as the United States’ outpost in the Middle East, acting as a middleman within the balance of regional power.

The name “The Wasteland” suggests that under the pursuit of extreme interests, morality and human hearts run dry. “Wasteland” is not the wastelands of Siberia, but a brutal marketplace and battlefield.

This article, based on the plot trajectory of the Japanese drama “ The Wasteland,” predicts when the U.S.-Israel-Iran war will end. First appeared on Linked News ABMedia.