First of all dont worry about buying an infested plant. Unfortunately I just bought 2 orleanders (one with scale and another with aphids). I tried coffee grinds and I think its working becase the aphids were green and now some are black. But anyway.....
Your sago isnt dead at all. Cycads, unlike palms, do not push leaves out one by one, but instead many come out at once. Thats called a "flush". So what makes a cycad "flush". Well a few things.
One you need fertilizer. Standard fertilizer high in all 3 numbers is usually good, but if you really want a flush, something a little bit higher in nitrogen is recommended.
Two you need sun and warmth. This is very important because cycads love being warm. Usually temps have to be in the 80s to really get a flush comming up, but sunny 70s will be fine to get it going. Still, I wouldnt expect a flush until the weather gets summer like.
Im not sure if thats mulch in your pot or moss, but if it is moss, it might be too moist. Moss usually needs shade and moisture to grow and sagos love water, but only on warm sunny days or whenever it gets dry. If its not in sun, I would move it to a sunny spot, but adjust it to its new location as slowly as possible or else you might burn the leaves. That wont kill your plant, but it will make it look bad and also possibly slow down growth (which you definitely dont want).
My sago seems to make a flush about 2 times a year.

Good luck!
-Alex
Your sago looks like it might need to be repotted.

Thanks for the response!

I've currently got it out on my balcony, southern exposure, good sun from about 5am to noon, then indirect sun, and shade in the later afternoon. Evenings here are in the 50s these days, but in daytime it's getting up to the high 70s. So, still a little while to warm up, I guess.

Yeah, that's moss on the soil. That's the pot it came in, and it seems to be in a standard potting mix. Should I try to repot it in (1) a larger clay or terra cotta pot and (2) a better draining mix?

I just noticed your in a zone 9. You should plant it in the ground and with time it will get big.

Spray those mealies with a mix of canola oil, water and liquid soap. That will get rid of them.

I don't have much to add to what has already been written here, but you should search the internet and learn about Cycads.

x

@statenislandpalm I live in an apartment, so I don't have access to the ground, as such. Otherwise, I totally would!

@xerophyte_nyc Yep, that's pretty much the concoction I used. It's been mealy bug free for months now (though, it makes a weird crackling noise when I water, so I wonder if I won't find root mealy bugs when I depot it...)

If you have room you can definitely plant it right in the ground, but if you dont have anywhere to plant it a large pot (doesnt have to be clay, but can be) and some good potting soil (standard is usually good as long as the pot has a few drainage holes on the bottom) should be fine. You could keep it outside as long as temps are above 30F but it cold survive in a pot down to the mid 20s with leaf damage. It sounds like you are doing everything right and the weather seems like it could support a flush of leaves. Not sure how warm japan gets in the summer months, but I assume its in the 80s and 90s at sea level in a zone 9.

Good luck!
-Alex

It looks like to me as big as the trunk is it needs to be potted up to a bigger size pot.Cycas Revoluta would rather be planted a little shallow then to deep.If you keep it in a pot allow the soil to become almost dry,then water thorouughly.If temps. are warm and it is in 70 percent sun you need to water once a week,soak it till water runs out the bottom of the pot.I do this to mine and I also add fertilizer when I water once a week.I have two,and both are putting out there first flush of the season.Mine are 15 gallon size,and my trunks are not as tall as yours is.Have you checked to see if it's potbound?My trunks are bigger around than yours but not as tall.Google Sun Palm Trees,then go to Sago Palms,it will tell you everything you need to know about Sago Palms.Good Luck

Awesome, thanks so much!

This part of Japan is pretty humid, and can get up to the mid-90s (though high 80s is more normal) in the height of August.

I'm gonna pop out today and buy a pot for it (and roughly a jillion other plants I should have been transplanting/repotting earlier this week).

Right! So I popped it in new soil, in a bigger pot, good times, good times. Since then I've been watering it deeply once a week (though it's been super hot lately, so i've been sneaking it a light mid-week sprinkle -- don't tell anyone), and FINALLY on Monday this week it shot out new shoots.

They're just starting to unfurl now, as you can see in

Thanks for the help. :)

Have two Sagos..one male and one female. Due to damaged fronds from very bad winter here in Florida, I had to remove all the dead fronds. Almost overnight, the male produced new fronds. The female produced a large white bloom, which in days opened up. It has now been closed for about two weeks and am wondering when it will develope new fronds. Will the bloom end up rotting off or what? The sagos are about 17 years old.