Chapter 260: The Cost! The Anger Of Everyone At Kanto Stage!
On Monday morning at Tokyo Television Station, the office building was already filled with hurried footsteps.
Hiroshi Nohara, dressed in a dark suit, held the final summary report for Taste of Neon in his hand and walked into the top-floor meeting room.
At this time, Nobuhiko Sakata, Toshihide Takada, and Deputy Director Asumi were already seated at the table, with documents from Kanto Stage also placed on the table—this was not only Hiroshi Nohara’s work report day, but also the day when Kanto Stage’s management came to Tokyo TV to synchronize work progress.
“Hiroshi-kun, sit.” Nobuhiko Sakata looked up at him, his fingers lightly tapping the desktop, “How is the wrap-up work for Taste of Neon going? Has there been any word from Ichiro Hashimoto on the follow-up overseas promotion plan?”
Hiroshi Nohara sat down, pushed the report in front of the three of them, and said in a steady tone: “Director Sakata, all eleven episodes of Taste of Neon have completed post-production. The sample films for episode eight ‘Mito Natto’ and episode nine ‘Matsusaka Umeboshi’ were sent to Minister Miyazawa at NHK yesterday. He gave feedback that they can be included in the first batch of recommended films for ‘cultural export.’ On Section Chief Hashimoto’s side, he is coordinating with television stations in Southeast Asia, and channels in Thailand and Malaysia have clearly indicated they want to air them simultaneously at the end of this month.”
Toshihide Takada picked up the report, flipped to the “Economic Benefits” page, and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth: “Pre-sales of Mito Natto have doubled, and orders for Matsusaka Umeboshi are booked until March next year? Hiroshi-kun, your documentary has truly boosted the local economy. The Ministry of Education called yesterday asking if we can shoot another season on ‘Kansai Cuisine.'”
Deputy Director Asumi added: “Kanto Stage also called me this morning. Yuichi Matsui said that the two proposals you guided before, ‘Ibaraki Lacquerware’ and ‘Chiba Fishing Port,’ have passed initial review, and they want to start field research next week. However, they also raised a request—they hope you can review Kanto Stage’s filming equipment list when you have time. Some of the old machines really need replacing.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the meeting room door was pushed open, and Kiyoto Suzuki walked in with Yuichi Matsui and Ryuji Yamada.
Yuichi Matsui held Kanto Stage’s monthly work report, his face still showing that stubborn expression, but much milder than the last meeting: “Director Sakata, Director Takada, Deputy Director Asumi, this is Kanto Stage’s production progress and advertising revenue report for last month. Thanks to Hiroshi-san, our documentary proposals have doubled compared to the same period last year, and advertising revenue has increased by 30%.”
Kiyoto Suzuki sat down beside him, rubbing his brow with his fingers: “It’s mainly the obvious spillover effect from Taste of Neon. Previously, ‘Asakusa-ya’ Sushi was skeptical about advertising in our documentaries, but now they’ve not only signed an annual contract but also proactively added two million yen in sponsorship, saying they want to add a ‘support traditional crafts’ slogan at the end of the film.”
Nobuhiko Sakata flipped through Kanto Stage’s report, looked up at Hiroshi Nohara, his tone full of appreciation: “Hiroshi-kun, you’ve made a great start with Taste of Neon. We used to think no one watches traditional culture documentaries, but now it seems that as long as we find the right entry point with ‘human touch,’ the audience buys it more than anyone. Tell us, how should Kanto Stage maintain this style in their next few documentaries?”
Hiroshi Nohara thought for a moment and replied: “Director Sakata, I think the core is still ‘people leading crafts.’ For example, when filming ‘Ibaraki Lacquerware,’ don’t just show the artisan applying lacquer—film how he teaches his son to identify lacquer trees, how he repairs the old lacquerware left by his grandfather—these family inheritance details move the audience more than pure craft demonstrations. Mr. Matsui, did you include the idea I mentioned last time about ‘young designers collaborating with old artisans’ in the proposal?”
Upon hearing this, Yuichi Matsui pulled out a revised proposal from his file bag and handed it over: “We did. Ryuji Yamada talked with the lacquerware artisans in Ibaraki, and they’re willing to collaborate with a design studio in Tokyo to make a batch of ‘lacquerware coffee cups.’ However, the artisans also made a request—they can’t change the traditional ‘sinking gold process’; they can only make modern adjustments to the patterns.”
“That’s right.” Hiroshi Nohara nodded, “The soul of traditional crafts can’t be lost; innovation is just to better integrate it into modern life. For example, the landlady of Matsusaka Umeboshi didn’t abandon the old method of hand-pickling; she just printed cartoon patterns that young people like on the packaging, and sales went up, didn’t they?”
Toshihide Takada put down his coffee cup, his tone serious: “Hiroshi-kun makes a good point. Next, the other directors at Tokyo TV should learn more from this approach. Soji Ashikaga’s period dramas and Kouta Asano’s heartwarming films can all add traditional elements—for example, filming ‘kimono pattern stories’ in period dramas, or ‘inheritance dilemmas of old shops’ in heartwarming films. This can enrich the content and also link with your Taste of Neon.”
Deputy Director Asumi agreed: “I’ve already discussed it with Mr. Ashikaga and Mr. Asano, and they’re both willing to try. Mr. Asano also said he wants to add a scene in Mother’s Bento about ‘mom learning to make hand-pickled vegetables,’ which fits the family theme and echoes the content of Taste of Neon.”
Just as everyone was discussing enthusiastically, Kiyoto Suzuki suddenly frowned, clenching his fist under the table.
He glanced at Yuichi Matsui, hesitated for a moment, and still spoke up: “Everyone, there’s something I have to say—recently, several subjects we’ve filmed for Taste of Neon have run into trouble. Kenichi Sato of Mito Natto was blocked at his workshop door last week by a group of delinquents demanding ‘protection money’; Sumie Matsumoto of Matsusaka Umeboshi said yesterday that someone splashed paint at her shop door and left a note telling her ‘not to cooperate with Tokyo TV anymore.'”
These words were like a basin of cold water, instantly extinguishing the relaxed atmosphere in the meeting room.
Nobuhiko Sakata’s face darkened, and he heavily tapped the desktop with his fingers: “Mr. Suzuki, is this true? Did Mr. Sato and Ms. Matsumoto report it to the police?”
Yuichi Matsui took over, his tone filled with anger: “They did, but the police said they couldn’t catch them in the act, so they can only increase patrols. Mr. Sato now locks his workshop door every day, and Ms. Matsumoto is too scared to let her apprentice mind the shop alone. Those people clearly came prepared, targeting only the shops we’ve filmed for Taste of Neon—this must be orchestrated by someone behind the scenes!”
Ryuji Yamada added: “And Masayasu Nomizu from Chiba Fishing Port called me yesterday saying some strange men came to the wharf asking him ‘if he’s close with Hiroshi Nohara from Tokyo TV,’ with a threatening tone. Mr. Nomizu now goes out to sea with several fishermen, afraid of accidents.”
Hearing this, Hiroshi Nohara frowned tightly, his fingers lightly tapping the desktop.
He recalled the delinquents who targeted Future Manga Company yesterday, his expression turning serious: “Mr. Suzuki, Mr. Matsui, actually my Future Manga Company encountered something similar yesterday. A group came to collect protection money and knocked over the easels, but luckily a friend passing by stopped them, so there wasn’t too much damage.”
“Future Manga Company was targeted too?” Nobuhiko Sakata’s tone was full of surprise, “This is no coincidence. Hiroshi-kun, your manga club’s address is rarely disclosed publicly; no one could find it unless they deliberately investigated.”
Toshihide Takada’s gaze darkened, his fingers tapping the table: “Who could it be? We haven’t offended anyone recently. The only competitor… is Tokyo City Television.”
Deputy Director Asumi nodded immediately: “Director Takada is right. Last time, Shunsuke Kamiki from Tokyo City Television publicly said he wanted to ‘teach Tokyo TV a lesson’ because Super Change Change Change took their variety show’s ratings. And Tokugawa Sato is the chairman of Kirin Group, holding many real estate projects with unclear ties to the yakuza.”
Yuichi Matsui gritted his teeth: “I’ve long felt something was off with Tokyo City Television! Last time they tried to poach one of our directors from Kanto Stage, and after being rejected, that director received anonymous threat letters. Now it seems Tokugawa Sato must be behind it!”
Kiyoto Suzuki sighed: “Tokugawa Sato’s real estate projects recently hit resistance in Tokyo Bay—the Ministry of Education, influenced by Taste of Neon, wants to designate part of the sea area as a ‘traditional fishery protection zone,’ which directly affects his land reclamation plans. Could he think Hiroshi-kun’s documentaries are blocking his way and deliberately sent people to harass?”
Hiroshi Nohara was silent for a moment before speaking: “That’s possible. Last time at the NHK seminar, I mentioned views on ‘protecting traditional fishery resources,’ and Tokugawa Sato’s assistant was there with a bad look on his face. Moreover, Kazuo Takahashi from Tokyo City Television used to work for Mikami Tanaka, and Mayor Tanaka is originally an ally of Tokugawa Sato—they might be teaming up to force me to stop filming related themes through harassment.”
Kouta Asano happened to push the door open to deliver documents and, hearing this, immediately stopped: “Everyone, let me add something. Last week at an industry conference, I overheard people from Tokyo City Television privately saying, ‘we need to let Hiroshi Nohara know what to film and what not to.’ I didn’t pay attention then, but now it seems they had it planned all along!”
Nobuhiko Sakata slammed the table, splashing the tea in his cup: “That’s going too far! Does Tokugawa Sato think he can stop our cultural promotion with some yakuza tactics? Tomorrow I’ll report it to Minister Tadashi Hattori and have him coordinate with the police to strengthen protection for those artisans!”
Toshihide Takada’s face was also grim, his fingers clenched white: “And Tokyo City Television—if they dare pull more stunts, we’ll collect evidence and submit it to the broadcasting association! I don’t believe they can cover the sky with one hand!”
Deputy Director Asumi said calmly: “The key now is to fight back. On one hand, we coordinate with the police to increase patrols, especially in filming locations like Mito, Matsusaka, and Chiba; on the other hand, we can add subtitles at the end of Taste of Neon saying ‘protect traditional artisans, resist violent threats’ to let the audience know the truth—public opinion pressure is sometimes more effective than police intervention.”
But Kiyoto Suzuki gave a bitter smile and shook his head: “Deputy Director Asumi, we all understand the reasoning, but the problem is we have no evidence. Those delinquents are hired temporarily and vanish after; we can’t catch them red-handed. Tokugawa Sato and Shunsuke Kamiki are even further behind the scenes, not leaving any written orders. Even if we report to Minister Hattori, without hard evidence, the police can only do superficial work.”
Nobuhiko Sakata frowned even more, his tone softening: “Mr. Suzuki is right. Now is the critical period for former Director Shimazu’s campaign for Mayor of Tokyo City. Mikami Tanaka is already looking for chances to smear us. If we publicly accuse Tokyo City Television without solid evidence, they’ll turn it around on us, saying we’re ‘maliciously competing’ or ‘interfering in the election.'”
Yuichi Matsui couldn’t help saying: “Are we just going to watch them bully people? Kenichi Sato’s workshop doesn’t even dare open now, Ms. Matsumoto’s shop has lost half its customers, and if this continues, we won’t be able to film our documentaries anymore!”
Ryuji Yamada echoed: “Yes, Director Sakata, we can’t just let it go! Those artisans trusted us to cooperate with filming; if we can’t protect them, who will dare work with us in the future?”
Looking at everyone’s agitated expressions, Hiroshi Nohara spoke: “Everyone, calm down first. Confronting head-on isn’t the best way now. I have a suggestion—we can have the artisans secretly install recording devices; if delinquents harass again, record their conversations. At the same time, have Section Chief Hashimoto investigate Tokugawa Sato’s real estate projects for any irregularities—since he dares use yakuza means, there must be something fishy in his projects. Find a handle, and we can counter-restrain him.”
Toshihide Takada nodded: “Good idea! Ichiro Hashimoto has experience in intelligence gathering; he’s the right one for it. Additionally, we can tip off former Director Shimazu. Tokugawa Sato is Mikami Tanaka’s financial backer; if we find evidence of benefit transfers between them, it will help former Director Shimazu’s election too.”
Nobuhiko Sakata was silent for a moment before making the decision: “We’ll do as Hiroshi-kun and Takada-kun said. But one thing must be clear—all work now revolves around former Director Shimazu’s election.”
He looked at Hiroshi Nohara, his tone serious: “Put aside Kanto Stage’s equipment review and proposal guidance for now. Over the next two weeks, focus on helping former Director Shimazu perfect the ‘information cocoon’ promotion plan, and shoot a campaign promotional short film—the content around ‘cultural inheritance’ and ‘economic transformation,’ highlighting his cooperation achievements with our Tokyo TV.”
He paused, then added: “As long as former Director Shimazu is elected Mayor of Tokyo City, Mikami Tanaka and Tokugawa Sato will lose their biggest backer. Then from Tokyo Metropolis to Tokyo City, we can connect relations, and deal with them later.”
Deputy Director Asumi agreed: “Director Sakata is right. The election is the top priority now. Hiroshi-kun, your promotional short film is very important—Taste of Neon covers all age groups, and your work can let more people know former Director Shimazu’s concepts. Moreover, the ‘information cocoon’ strategy you designed before has already boosted former Director Shimazu’s support rate by five percentage points; one more push might create a gap.”
Hiroshi Nohara nodded, his tone firm: “Director Sakata, Deputy Director Asumi, I understand. For Kanto Stage matters, I’ll communicate with Mr. Matsui and Mr. Yamada to proceed with the previous plans first and call me anytime for issues. For the election promotional short film, I’ll start preparing tomorrow and aim to have the script in three days.”
Although Yuichi Matsui was still unwilling, he knew the importance of the election and could only nod: “Hiroshi-san, go ahead with the election matters; we’ll keep a close eye on Kanto Stage’s proposals. If we encounter unsolvable problems, we’ll come to you.”
Kiyoto Suzuki patted Hiroshi Nohara’s shoulder: “Hiroshi-kun, sorry to trouble you. After the election, we’ll properly settle the score with Tokugawa Sato. For those artisans’ safety, we’ll arrange secret protection so they won’t be wronged again.”
When the meeting ended, the sunlight outside the window had already risen higher.
Hiroshi Nohara took the meeting minutes and walked out of the meeting room, knowing full well how busy the next two weeks would be.
On one side is former Director Shimazu’s election promotion, on the other is protecting the artisans’ safety, plus the undercurrents behind Tokugawa Sato—but he wasn’t panicked, just like when facing bullies while filming Seven Samurai before; the more complex the situation, the more it requires calm and strategy.
And he already had a plan in mind—not only to help former Director Shimazu win the election, but also to make those hidden black hands pay the due price.
