＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:https://skawa68.com/
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
1. Tipping at popular theater and street performances
Tips and donations have long been a common practice at popular theater and street performances, but now a company called “SHOWROOM”, which has adopted a tipping system online, is becoming a hot topic.
During the voting period for the 9th AKB General Election in June 2017, there was one place where something different from an actual general election was happening. It was on a live internet broadcasting platform called “SHOWROOM.”
During the voting period of the general election, each AKB member held a live broadcast on SHOWROOM, and the results were announced as a popularity ranking on the final day. The result was that Rino Sashihara, the winner of the general election, was ranked 68th, while Momoka Onishi, who was “out of range” in the general election, was ranked 1st.
After Momoka Onishi registered in June 2016, she set a time of “5:30 a.m. every morning” and continued to live stream every morning. 3,000 to 5,000 fans were in front of their phones waiting for her to stream every morning. Her continuous effort for a year must have brought her the first place result.
2. What is “SHOWROOM” and the “tipping system”?
SHOWROOM is a service that matches idols with fans through live online broadcasts.
SHOWROOM is a platform that allows anyone, not just professional idols, to easily become a “performer (idol)” and broadcast live from their computer or smartphone.
When you visit a space called a “room” where an idol is broadcasting live, you will find viewers’ “avatars” positioned around the idol.
Viewers can enjoy real-time interactions with idols through their avatars. Viewers can also give “tipping” (gifting) to idols in the form of free virtual items called “stars” or “gifts” that can be purchased for a fee. These “gifts” become earnings for the idols and also revenue for SHOWROOM.
Apparently there are as many as 1.3 million people registered as viewers. Once you register, you will be able to send “gifts”, but you do not need to register if you just want to watch live broadcasts.
The appeal of SHOWROOM is that (1) you can enjoy a live atmosphere, (2) broadcasters are paid, and (3) you can directly support the dreams of those in the entertainment industry.
3. What kind of company is “SHOWROOM Inc.”?
The business, which DeNA Co., Ltd. launched in November 2013 with the catchphrase “Virtual Live Space,” was transferred to the management of SHOWROOM Inc. through a company split.
President Yuji Maeda was initially offered a job at DeNA, but instead joined a foreign investment company. In his second year, his skills and proven track record in the United States were recognized, and he was personally recruited by DeNA Chairman Namba Tomoko.
4. What kind of person is “Yuji Maeda”?
Yuji Maeda (1987- ), who is rumored to be dating the talent Satomi Ishihara, is a 31-year-old graduate of Waseda University. His background is as mentioned above, but in the “Message from the President” on the company’s official website, he states the following philosophy:
Armed with the power of entertainment, we do everything possible in our effort to rectify opportunity differentials across the globe.
Apparently, he was dozing off in the middle of the night on a sleeper train traveling in India when a disabled boy approached him and began performing a sort of “drum imitation.”
He apparently interpreted this to mean, “If you think my performance was good, please give me some money,” and gave him the money.
Perhaps the surrounding Indian people were annoyed at being disturbed by their sleep, or perhaps due to the influence of class hierarchy, but they then shoved the boy into another carriage.
He said that the sight of the boy’s back as he walked away left a strange impression on him and remained in his mind.
This is probably the origin of the idea for SHOWROOM.
As an aside, he is apparently the biggest “note-taker” in the industry. He says that the reason he takes notes is “to be able to spend more time on more essential things.”
He also said, “Notes are not know-how but an attitude.”
When I come up with ideas for my blog, I try to write them down in a notebook because I sometimes forget them later. A “blog idea notebook” is like “the movements of a waterfowl beneath the surface of the water.” Before the Internet became widespread, it was a lot of work to find out where you read something, but now, if it’s something well-known, you can easily find it by doing a “keyword search” on the Internet. However, “idea notes” are still necessary in modern times.
By writing things down in notes, you can free up time for creative thinking. It’s because you’re not wasting brain time trying to “remember” ideas.
I think that’s what he meant when he said this.