The Media War
Yamashina Makoto slowly opened his palm and, by the light of the crystal chandelier, could see the contents of the note.
The top only contained neat lines of English and Japanese annotations.
[American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Standard PS72-76: Focus on the suffocation risk to young children from small toy parts.]
[ASTM F963-86 standard: Mandatory age classification requirements. It explicitly states "Not for use by children under 3 years old" and details physical safety testing requirements for different age groups, such as torque, tensile, and impact tests.]
Yamashina Makoto's expression suddenly hardened.
He wasn't from a technical background, but as the president of Bandai, he instantly understood the profound significance behind that note.
This is no small suggestion! This is clearly a ready-made professional guidance document! It's a professional barrier that can directly shut up the bureaucrats at the Ministry of International Trade and Industry and silence all media criticism!
Nakayama Takuya's words just now handed him the sword of "self-discipline," and this note is a detailed sword manual!
With this proven industry standard from across the ocean as a blueprint, the Japan toy industry's grading system is not just a pipe dream, but something based on facts and laws! They can even make it more refined and better suited to Japan's national conditions than the United States!
He was just worrying about how to set standards for industry self-regulation.
Who gets to decide? Setting it too leniently is self-deception; setting it too strictly is digging your own grave.
Now, Nakayama Takuya has placed the answer directly into his palm.
"President?" The Bandai director next to him couldn't help but ask, noticing the change in his expression.
Yamashina Makoto gripped the paper tightly, the thin sheet almost soaked through with the sweat from his palms.
He raised his head, his eyes gleaming with barely suppressed shrewdness.
This is power! This is the authority to set the tone in the industry!
Why didn't Nakayama Takuya go to the president of toy giant Takara, or the owner of Sanrio, but instead went to Yamashina Makoto?
This is Sega, or rather, that seemingly gentle young man, who personally delivered the top spot in the entire toy industry self-regulatory association for Yamashina Makoto and Bandai!
What's the price? The price is that Bandai must be the first to step forward, take up this banner, and make this a success!
What a grand gesture! And what a Nakayama Takuya!
"Go, invite Sato. Sato from TAKARA and President Tsuji Sanrio over here!" Yamashina Makoto's voice was low, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness. "Remember what I said: Bandai will take the lead in developing the toy industry's grading standards! I already have a draft in mind!"
"Yes!"
He took a deep breath and looked into the distance again. Nakayama Takuya was chatting and laughing with several giants in the manga industry, his every move exuding an air of authority.
The older generation of business leaders from the Showa era were still thinking about how to defend themselves, how to stick together for warmth, or even deceiving themselves by pretending not to know and burying their heads in the sand.
And this young man has already begun calmly planning the map of a renowned new world amidst the ruins of the storm.
"Sega, the Nakayama family —this is an enormous favor they've done for us." Yamashina Makoto muttered to himself, but his tone was filled with barely suppressed excitement.
He accepted this gift, Bandai after generation!
The conference at the Hotel New Otani had just concluded when a storm sweeping across the Japan media shifted its focus.
That evening, during prime-time news programs, viewers were surprised to find a subtle shift in the narratives of major television stations.
Instead of uniformly associating anime, manga, and games with a psychopathic killer, the program included a joint statement from dozens of industry giants spanning anime, manga, games, and toys, including Toei, Shueisha, Sega, and Bandai.
They not only unequivocally condemned and resisted any form of child pornography, but also announced to the whole society that they would establish an industry self-regulatory organization, set up a strict rating system, and proactively embrace regulation.
However, for some jackals who have been sharpening their knives for a long time, this is nothing more than the prey's last struggle.
The following day, the storm of public opinion retaliated with even greater force.
The Yomiuri Shimbun Shimbun's editorial section, with its striking headline, posed the question, "Is this belated 'self-discipline' a commercial stunt or genuine repentance?"
The article questions the reliability of "self-monitoring" throughout, incites public distrust, and calls for government intervention to conduct a "thorough cleanup" of the entire industry.
In Fuji TV's morning news program, a so-called social commentator indignantly criticized, "Thieves organize their own patrol teams..."
Does that prove their innocence? So-called industry self-regulation is nothing more than a shield they use to evade real oversight!
In a short time, the arguments that "self-management is not management" and "officials within the industry protect each other" spread like a virus.
In the president's office at Sega Headquarters, Nakayama Atsuo turned off the television, and the office instantly fell silent.
The image of the indignant man on the screen disappeared, leaving only darkness, which reflected the figures of the father and son.
He looked at his son. "These media outlets are even more agitated than we predicted. Have all the follow-up arrangements been postponed?"
Nakayama Takuya was slowly rinsing the tea set with hot water, his movements fluid and graceful, as if the noise outside had nothing to do with him.
"Hmm," he responded, discarding the first infusion of water used to awaken the tea leaves, before refilling the cup and pouring a cup for both his father and himself.
"Let them shout, the louder the better." Nakayama Takuya picked up his teacup and blew on it to cool it down.
"The harsher their criticism now, the more they're helping us build a stage for free, attracting all of Japan's attention. Their expressions will be quite a sight when we unveil the truth."
Nakayama Hayao picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said nothing.
He knew that since his son had said that, he must have another plan.
"Public opinion is like a spring; the harder it's compressed, the stronger it bounces back." Nakayama Takuya put down his teacup, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.
"Our first step was to proactively submit a statement, letting everyone know we wanted to change. They didn't believe us and attacked us relentlessly; that was the second step, escalating the situation completely."
He paused, then continued, "Now, it's time for the third step."
"Mr. Suzuki Toshio from Ghibli just called to say that Director Miyazaki's interview with NHK has been recorded. If all goes well, the interview will air tomorrow at noon."
Sure enough, on the third day, NHK's flagship midday news program broadcast an exclusive interview with Miyazaki Hayao.
In the image, the animation master looks haggard, but his eyes burn with an indomitable flame.
"I don't know how that demon fell into corruption."
"But there will never be any of my works in his collection."
"My works will not contain any of those dirty, vulgar, or disgusting things!"
"I am a creator, so my work should speak for itself!"
"Our industry has its bad apples, but it also has many creators like us who have a strong sense of social responsibility!"
"We welcome everyone's supervision and criticism, but please criticize our work directly, instead of defining us all by the name of a criminal!"
These words resonated deeply!
It was like a clear stream flowing into a murky swamp!
All afternoon, NHK's phone lines were ringing off the hook! Countless viewers called in to show their support for Miyazaki Hayao.
"That's right! We can't let one madman ruin ' My Totoro ' and ' Castle in the Sky '!"
"What's wrong with industry self-regulation? At least they dare to stand up and face the problems! They're much better than those tax thieves who just shirk responsibility!"
The balance of public opinion began to tip violently.
But that's not enough.
Nakayama Takuya's plan was never one of passive defense.
Following Sega's example, self-regulatory associations in industries such as animation, comics, games, and toys were established at an unprecedented pace.
The articles of association, objectives, and preliminary operating rules were clearly published in major newspapers and made public to the whole society.
Bandai even presented a preliminary reference standard, namely the ASTM F963-86 standard from the American Society for Testing and Materials, which has mandatory age classification requirements. This standard was quickly recognized and praised by the public.
However, this is not the whole story.