Taiko no Tatsujin

When the self-regulatory associations of the animation and gaming industries announced the list of several highly respected social watchdogs they had invited, an inconspicuous third-rate tabloid published a shocking "exclusive inside story."

<The Metropolitan Police Department's "Perfect" Sinner? -- Who's Diverting Attention to Incompetent Bureaucrats!>

The article vividly "revealed" that the Metropolitan Police Department was in a state of internal chaos because it had been unable to catch the culprit for so long. In order to protect their positions, they desperately needed a target to draw all their attention, and the booming anime and game industry unfortunately became the best choice.

"Public authorities, in order to protect themselves, are shifting blame onto the people, even at the cost of destroying a pillar industry with millions of employees!"

The article then takes a sharp turn, incisively connecting this incident to several major events of the year.

"Do you remember Takeshita Noboru's Recruit Scandal? Do you remember Uno Sosuke's sex scandal? Do you remember the Liberal Democratic Party's historic defeat in last month's House of Councillors election?"

"Finally, let's check our pockets and think about that damned sales tax! Is our money just feeding a bunch of tax thieves who only know how to shirk responsibility?!"

This article is like a bomb dropped into a powder keg.

Instantly, the entire public opinion field was completely ignited!

The next day, mainstream media outlets, forgetting about attacking the anime and gaming industry, jumped in and argued fiercely about the "Metropolitan Police Department conspiracy theory."

Some opposition lawmakers were overjoyed and launched a public inquiry into the matter in Congress.

The eye of the storm has quietly shifted.

Nakayama Takuya stood in his office, watching the TV hosts scheming against each other for ratings, and slowly turned off the television.

Silence returned to the room.

Nakayama Hayao looked at his son's profile. The young man was calmly gazing out the window, as if none of this concerned him. A barely perceptible smile finally appeared on his usually stern face.

"Well done." He patted Takuya on the shoulder, his voice soft but weighty, "But don't get too excited yet."

Nakayama Takuya turned around and looked at his father.

"This time we've stirred up trouble in Nagatacho and Kasumigaseki; those guys are much more difficult to deal with than the media."

After saying that, Takuya poured a cup of tea for his father and himself. Just as he was about to raise his cup, the phone on his desk rang.

The call was answered; it was Yamashina Makoto from Bandai.

"Special Secretary Nakayama, I am deeply grateful! The toy industry's self-regulatory association has been successfully established according to your draft standards!"

The voice on the other end was filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Immediately afterwards, Shueisha, Toei —one call after another came in.

Gratitude, admiration, and an undisguised expression of goodwill.

After a series of congratulatory phone calls, Takuya picked up the phone and dialed the head of the Marketing Department. "Is everything ready?"

"Executive Director, everything is ready! The joint announcement we issued with the Agency for Cultural Affairs has been released, and the timing is perfect! Right now, all the media are chasing political scandals, and our 'little trick' hasn't attracted anyone's attention at all!"

The person on the other end of the phone, sitting upright, nodded in response.

"Very good."

A barely perceptible smile curved at the corners of Nakayama Takuya's lips.

Let us offer a "healing gift" to this society that has just experienced trauma.

The theme is "tradition" and "return."

Mid-August, Awa Dance Festival Tokushima Prefecture.

The city was buzzing with excitement for the annual festival, the air thick with the vibrant rhythms of shamisen and taiko drums.

However, next to the busiest street of the festival, a temporary experience area set up by Sega attracted more attention than the main stage. Hundreds of brand-new arcade machines were lined up, with cute taiko drum images and an eye-catching name printed on their bodies—<Taiko no Tatsujin>.

"What is this? Sega's new game?"

"It looks so simple, just playing drums!"

A girl in a yukata, somewhat shyly encouraged by her friends, picked up drumsticks.

Thump!

Knock knock!

Thump!

As the musical notes flowed down from the screen, she awkwardly tapped the drumhead and rim.

At first it was a bit chaotic, but when the familiar Awa Dance Festival theme song, "Awa no," started playing, the girl's movements instantly became fluid!

Tourists and locals around them unconsciously hummed along to the rhythm and clapped.

Thump, thump, click! Thump, thump, click!

The sounds of drums, music, laughter, and cheers blended perfectly into this summer carnival.

A father with his child, who had previously harbored reservations about "video games," was now completely engrossed in watching them.

He saw his son working with a stranger, both of them sweating profusely but smiling broadly as they played a complete nursery rhyme together.

There is no violence, no pornography, and none of those disturbing elements.

It's just pure music, primal rhythms, and heartfelt joy.

A reporter from the Asahi Shimbun, who was originally assigned to Tokushima to cover how the traditional culture of the Awa Dance Festival is being preserved in today's fast-paced society, was instead drawn in by this unexpected commotion.

He squeezed into the crowd and looked at the smiles on the faces of men, women, and children. There was no sign that the tradition was failing.

Just a few days ago, he was vehemently criticizing the harmful effects of electronic entertainment on teenagers in his column.

But the scene before him was like a resounding slap across the face.

This is hardly poison.

This is clearly a good remedy!

It uses the most modern and fun methods to make people fall in love again with the traditional rhythms of their own culture!

The reporter's camera lens was no longer pointed at the dancers performing traditional dances, but carefully recorded the smiling faces illuminated by "Taiko no Tatsujin".

the next day.

While major newspapers were still publishing endless reports on the politicians' war of words.

A report titled "Hearing the Pulse of the Future at the Awa Dance Festival" appeared quietly in the culture section of the Asahi Shimbun, like a refreshing spring.

The report made no mention of any previous controversies, but instead used the most delicate strokes to depict how Taiko no Tatsujin perfectly blends traditional culture with modern entertainment, and how it allows three generations to share a simple joy.

Following this, a special edition of the "Ezo Taiko" at the Hokkaido Fog Festival was featured in a special report by the local television station as a positive cultural phenomenon.

The tide of public opinion has shifted subtly once again, almost imperceptibly.

The public was surprised to find that Sega, which had just announced its intention to "regulate the industry," had suddenly produced such a "down-to-earth" and "positive" product.

"So this is what games can be like!"

"This is the kind of cultural product we need!"

Public opinion is the best shield and the sharpest weapon.

After the storm, on the ruins, what needs to be rebuilt is not just industry order.

It is also about people's hearts.

Sega, however, had already used a taiko drum to knock on the first door.