Tokyo Tofu Tribune

Hype Cycle

Watching the Parade From the Edge of the Street

February 22, 2026

by Annie Kawasaki

A calm look at the worldwide enthusiasm for AI and robotics, observed from the edge of a parade marching toward a future that hasn’t arrived yet.

Annie Kawasaki

Editor-in-Chief of Tokyo Tofu Tribune. Investigating soy sauce scandals, fake science, and social chaos, because reality is overrated. Satirical journalist. Tofu enthusiast. Possibly unreliable.
Kenji Takayama

Chief Conspiracy Analyst. Senior Soy Sauce Shrinkage Reporter.
Yuki Morita

Science & Technology Correspondent for Useless Discoveries.
Hiroshi Tsuzuki

Political & Social Chaos Correspondent. Japan’s leading expert on wildly exaggerated social phenomena.
Mei Sakamoto

Head of Fake Breaking News & Emergency Satire Alerts.