Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 353, A Major Shock to the Industry

Some things, if you don't weigh them, they're nothing; but once you weigh them, they're as heavy as a thousand pounds.

This is referring to the corruption problem on NHK's film sets. In reality, it's inevitable that some people will skim money off the project in any major project. There's no way around it. From Commissioner Smith in the United States to Commissioner Noda in Japan, and even the so-called "national projects," it's all the same principle. The difference is just how much of it goes to the project and how much goes to the company.
For example, during the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong eras, large-scale projects were typically 60-70% complete, with 30-40% failing to complete. This level of work was considered acceptable. For instance, when the famous Qianlong Emperor first ascended the throne, he considered his father Yongzheng's harsh treatment of officials and thus acted relatively leniently and without concern. However, this did not mean that the emperor himself was unaware of the actual situation. In fact, a few years later, Qianlong specifically used the matter of the Imperial Household Department purchasing lamps to criticize officials for using inferior materials to line their own pockets.

Wow! So even the emperor knew about it!
As a result, everyone became much more cautious.

However, when it came to the time of the Daoguang Emperor, even though the Imperial Household Department had some doubts about the price of an egg being two taels of silver, they were helpless and could only force themselves not to eat it to save money.

The Summer Palace is even more so. The Imperial Household Department spent more than ten million taels of silver to build this garden, but only about one or two tenths of that was actually used for construction.

But these are all unspoken understandings, and many things really can't be brought up and talked about.

When Uesugi Muneyuki's on-site investigation revealed the truth behind what appeared to be an accidental death on set, it was already destined that a massive storm would sweep across the entire country!

The reason is simple: NHK, as the national broadcaster, holds a very special position in Japan!

As a theoretically completely neutral television station, NHK does not accept any advertisements, sponsorships, national subsidies, or government allocations in order to demonstrate that it is not influenced by any power, conglomerate, or local organization.

So, how does NHK maintain the operation of the entire television station?
It's very simple! Collect taxes from all of Japan!
Tax every Japanese person!
Tax every humanoid, two-legged creature living in Japan!
Tax every house with a television screen!

Tax every mobile phone that can receive mobile TV!
Tax every car that has an in-car TV!
This is probably because charging everyone the same amount is the same as not charging anyone, and charging everyone the same amount is the same as being completely neutral (laughs).

Anyone who has lived in Japan knows how difficult the so-called "NHK deliverymen" can be. These people are notorious for knocking on doors one by one, demanding money and threatening to enter homes for inspections.

"I don't have a TV at home." "But you have to pay for a screen!"

"I don't have a screen at home." "Even if you have a smartphone, you still have to pay for it!"

"I don't have a smartphone!" "But there's a charge for in-car screens!"

So how much does NHK charge per year?

A terrestrial TV broadcast costs approximately 1200 yen per month, while a combined TV and satellite broadcast costs approximately 2000 yen per month. Based on Japan's scale, NHK can easily collect hundreds of billions of yen in TV fees annually (TV fees account for 96%-97% of NHK's total annual revenue, approximately 5000 billion yen per year; in addition, there are only very small amounts of revenue from peripheral products, overseas subscriptions, overseas copyright sales, equipment rentals, and program guidance).
This is tax! A mandatory tax!

If the entire nation were to learn that the large sums of taxes collected by NHK from them were not used for legitimate program production, but were instead embezzled layer by layer by these individuals, what do you think the public's reaction would be?
Haha~
Not to mention anyone else at the scene, even the police officers from the Tochigi Prefectural Police Headquarters were so angry that their faces turned blue.

Who hasn't been paid money by NHK?
Oh, so it turns out your National Broadcasting Association took kickbacks from the viewership fees we paid you!

Now that we have both witnesses and physical evidence, let's see what NHK does next.
"Arrest them all!" Inspector Kuraki roared. With Uesugi Muneyuki backing him up, and the suspects already confessing at the scene, there was ample witness testimony, physical evidence, and circumstantial evidence. He had no reason not to enforce the law impartially. "Also, make a copy of all the equipment at the scene. This is important physical evidence and must be accurate!"

"Yes, sir!" the police officers at the scene responded loudly and immediately began collecting evidence.

The film crew's producer and director were still yelling to stop filming and trying to destroy the footage, but the Tochigi Prefecture police wouldn't give them the chance.

It’s over! It's all over!

Producer Nakamura leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down it, on the verge of tears.

Chairman Matsumoto, I'm so sorry!
Uesugi!!! You bastard!!!
Producer Nakamura clenched his fists in frustration, thinking to himself, "I invited you to guest star as Uesugi Kagetora, not Matsunaga Hisahide!"
(Matsu Hisahide was killed for repeatedly betraying Nobunaga. It is said that before his death, he filled his tea utensil, Hiragumo, with gunpowder and exploded to his death.)

Director Kenji Tanaka, who was on set, let out a long sigh.

He knew this day would come. In fact, as a director, he knew everything and had thought about it many times. However, in the Japanese and Korean environment, the director's status is not high. To a large extent, they have to obey the producer and screenwriter. Most Japanese dramas deliberately use multiple directors in rotation to avoid one director dominating and having too much of their own brand.

"I really didn't mean to kill him! I didn't know Uesugi Muneyuki was coming today! Wasn't he supposed to come tomorrow? I was already prepared! Who notified him? The day after tomorrow, just the day after tomorrow, then none of this will happen. Isn't it normal for someone to die in an accident on set? It's just a little money, why should I take such a big responsibility?" Team Leader Ohashi was dragged away by two policemen. The long hours of fatigue and fear, the guilt and relief of killing, and the thought of his years of professional reputation, the impending imprisonment and disgrace, all made him neurotic, and he started to "talk nonsense."

"You idiot! You idiot! You beast, you've ruined us all!" Producer Nakamura slapped Team Leader Ohashi across the face, dizzy with rage. "You eat my food and then smash my pot! What right do you have to complain? The entire NHK will be disgraced because of you!" "Producer! You clearly..."

"Stop rambling! Now explain your problems properly!" Producer Nakamura wanted to slap him again, but the police stopped him.

Meanwhile, Uesugi Muneyuki remained standing in place, even looking at the production crew with a questioning gaze.

Now that everything's been resolved, are we still going to film?

I'll slap your horse's head!

Producer Nakamura was furious, yet utterly helpless against Uesugi Muneyuki. The evidence was overwhelming—witnesses, physical evidence, and circumstantial evidence—and the culprit had already confessed… If this case were to proceed this way…

It's possible that his actions are not as simple as just resigning to take responsibility.

With that in mind, producer Nakamura had no choice but to announce that it was time to call it a day, and that the Taiga drama "Gunshi Kanbei" would be temporarily suspended, with all filming halted.

Just you wait, Uesugi! I'm calling for help, I'm calling for help!!!
As the suspect and a large amount of evidence were taken away by the Tochigi Prefectural Police, NHK urgently contacted then-NHK Chairman Masayuki Matsumoto. The entire National Broadcasting Corporation quickly mobilized, looking for all available social connections and resources, and trying every means to pass on a message to those around Uesugi Muneyuki.

Uesugi-kun! Please let us off the hook, considering we are NHK and we invited you to participate in the Taiga drama!

If you do this, you'll ruin the entire Japanese broadcasting industry!
On the way back, Uesugi Sadanori looked at his younger brother speechlessly: "Sōyuki?"

"Hmm?" Uesugi Muneyuki looked at his brother, whose cameo role in the Taiga drama he had ruined, with an "innocent" expression: "What is it?"

"Do you know how long I've been preparing for today?" Uesugi Sadenori said with a face full of resentment, "You bastard..."

“I’m not that guy, I’m Uesugi Muneyuki, you know who I am.” Uesugi Muneyuki sighed softly, “Nobody wanted things to turn out this way, but since it happened in front of me, I’m going to make things clear!”

“Yes, you did the right thing.” Uesugi Sadenori was silent for a few seconds, then nodded with some frustration: “It really needs to be addressed. These people at NHK… I also found problems with the props today… They’re all substandard or defective.”

"This kind of thing cannot be tolerated!" Erina Ikeda said softly as she drove.

The silence in the car lasted for a while, then suddenly, Uesugi Muneyuki's phone rang.

It belongs to my grandfather, Kuninori Uesugi!

"Moshi Moshi..." Uesugi Muneyuki had barely uttered a word when the roar from the phone pierced his eardrums.

"cedar!!!"

........................

Meanwhile, in Odaiba Building, Minato Ward, Tokyo, at the president's office of Fuji TV headquarters.

President Kameyama was smiling as he looked at the financial statements.

"President!!!" The secretary rushed in from outside: "Something terrible has happened! There's been an accident on the NHK set!"

"What?" President Kameyama looked puzzled.

What does NHK's troubles have to do with my Fuji TV?
"Someone has died on the set of an NHK Taiga drama! And... Uesugi Muneyuki was there!"

"What???" President Kameyama jumped up from his chair.

(End of this chapter)