I, Hiroshi Nohara, the star of Japanese cinema

Chapter 253 The Information Cocoon is in Action! Hiroshi Nohara Helps Yoshihiro Shimazu Run for Mayor of Tokyo!
In mid-November in Tokyo, Yoshihiro Shimazu's campaign videos became a regular feature, appearing at the end of the "Super Transformation" show, during midday news commercials, and on television screens in subway cars.

These images, imbued with the warmth of everyday life, covered television stations, radio stations, outdoor advertising screens, and even local channels in Chiba and Gunma, all belonging to the Tokyo Broadcasting System.

In a promotional clip targeting office workers, the camera first cuts to a close-up of Ken Hyakuchuan kneading dough at a buckwheat noodle shop, a scene from the documentary "A Bite of China."

Flour fell softly into his palm, and then the scene shifted to Yoshihiro Shimazu, dressed casually, standing by the shop, holding a steaming bowl of soba noodles. He spoke gently to the camera, saying, "It is a blessing for Japan that young people are willing to return to their hometowns to pass on their skills. If elected, I will provide a three-year tax exemption policy for those who return to their hometowns to start businesses, so that everyone can do what they love without worrying about making a living."

In the background, there was also the familiar and comforting sound of buckwheat noodles being cooked, as seen in the documentary "A Bite of China".

The segments featuring housewives are even more heartwarming.

The scene begins with a humorous scene from "Super Transformation" where a family of three works together to transform into "Wagashi (Japanese sweets)." It then switches to a scene in a community park: Yoshihiro Shimazu is squatting on the ground, helping a child adjust a kite string, while several housewives are chatting on a bench nearby.

He walked over and sat down, smiling as he said, "In the future, every community will build a 'parent-child cultural station,' inviting confectionery masters and bakers to teach everyone how to make desserts. There will also be free picture book reading sessions on weekends, so that mothers don't have to travel far to have fun with their children."

The camera pans across the smiles on the housewives' faces, finally settling on the "Community Culture Festival Preview" poster at the park entrance, with a small Kumamon pattern printed at the bottom—a design Misae had specially made to add a touch of cuteness to the scene.

In the segments featuring traditional craftspeople, Sumie Yamada's "Sumiedo" became a key setting.

Yoshihiro Shimazu sat at the wooden table in the shop, holding a freshly made sakura mochi in his hand, listening to Sumie Yamada say, "Now every day young people come to ask if they can learn to make wagashi, but my little shop can't hold so many people."

He immediately chimed in: "I plan to build 'traditional craft workshops' in each district, providing venues and equipment free of charge. I will also invite master craftsmen like Mr. Yamada to be our teachers, so that the crafts can be passed down and the master craftsmen can have an extra source of income."

The camera finally focuses on the workshop design drawings, next to which is a note with Hiroshi Nohara's handwritten words: "Priority will be given to experienced craftsmen who have been in business for more than 30 years." The attention to detail is evident.

“The density of information cocoons is already sufficient.” Asumi stood in front of the production department’s monitoring screen, looking at the playback data fed back from various places, and said to Takada Toshihide beside him, “Yesterday’s opinion poll showed that Shimazu-senpai’s approval rating has increased by another 3 percentage points, and it has now reached 49%, only 2 percentage points away from Tanaka Mikami.”

Holding an advertising placement list in his hand, Takada Toshihide couldn't help but smile: "This is all thanks to Hiroshi-kun. If we had used the old methods, shooting videos of people shouting slogans indiscriminately, we would never have achieved such good results. Now, with these clips, each group can see content that they care about, so naturally they are willing to support us."

As the two were talking, Hiroshi Nohara walked in carrying a stack of scripts, followed by Ichiro Hashimoto—who was holding a newly edited sample of the Doraemon anti-flu animated short film.

"Ashita Kai-kun, Chief Takada, take a look at this." Hiroshi Nohara placed the script on the table. "This is the student version of the 'Winter Flu Prevention' script that will be released next week, along with the animation sample cut by Section Chief Hashimoto. If there are no problems, we can submit it for review."

Hashimoto quickly put the sample video into the player, and Nobita and Doraemon immediately appeared on the screen: Doraemon took out a "handwashing reminder bracelet" from his four-dimensional pocket. After Nobita put it on, the bracelet would ring every time he forgot to wash his hands, and a short animation of handwashing steps would play. At the end, Nobita and his classmates raised the bracelet together and said in unison, "Wash your hands frequently, wear a mask, and the flu will stay away from me!"

"Well done." Asumi nodded in satisfaction after reading it. "The animation pacing is just right, children can watch it and remember the knowledge points. Hiroshi-kun, the 'bracelet reminder' detail you added to the script is much more effective than simply lecturing."

Hiroshi Nohara smiled and said, "It's mainly because Section Chief Hashimoto's animation team did a great job, capturing Nobita's mischievousness and Doraemon's thoughtfulness. By the way, the 'flu prevention' short video from Mizukami Sho-san is also finished and will be delivered this afternoon. We'll show it to Governor Koike-san then."

……

At 2 p.m., the small conference room of TV Tokyo's production department was packed with people.

More than twenty young directors were crammed into chairs, with several even standing by the door. Each person held a notebook and pen, their eyes all fixed on Hiroshi Nohara, who sat in the main seat. A freshly brewed cup of green tea sat before him, the rising steam softening his composed profile.

"Don't be shy, everyone. Just ask us any questions you may have." Hiroshi Nohara picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said in a calm tone, "Today is not a serious meeting. I just want to talk to you about how to find creative inspiration from life and how to find what the audience likes."

As soon as she finished speaking, Sakurako Honda, a young director from Kanto TV sitting in the front row, raised her hand with a nervous yet expectant look on her face: "Hiroshi-san, I want to ask you, when you were filming 'A Bite of China,' how did you decide on the direction of 'traditional crafts'? I wanted to do 'Old Street Exploration' before, but I was always worried that the audience would find it boring and I didn't know how to find the 'highlights'."

Hiroshi Nohara looked at her with encouraging eyes: "Sakurako-chan, you first need to understand that the audience doesn't find 'old streets' boring, but rather 'old streets without stories' boring. The reason we decided on the 'traditional crafts' direction was because I discovered that many old crafts are disappearing, but the stories behind the craftsmen are very touching—for example, Sato-san gave up her job in Tokyo to keep her father's soba noodle shop; Yamada-san makes sakura mochi every year to wait for her daughter to come back. These stories contain perseverance and longing, and the audience can empathize with them."

He paused, then continued, “When you do ‘old street exploration,’ you don’t have to be greedy. Focus on just one craftsman and one small story each time. For example, when filming Grandma Zhang’s sugar painting stall, you don’t have to film her working all day. Just film her distributing the unsold sugar paintings to the children in the nearby kindergarten when she closes up in the evening. Then ask her, ‘Why do you always make a few extra?’ She might say, ‘My granddaughter used to like these too.’ A single detail can bring the old street to life.”

Sakurako Honda quickly jotted down notes in her notebook, her pen almost tearing through the paper: "I understand! Thank you, Hiroshi-san! I was always thinking about photographing the architecture and history of the old streets, but I forgot that the most touching thing is the people."

A young director wearing glasses next to him then asked, "Hiroshi-san, I work in variety shows, and I've recently been thinking of making a 'workplace experience' program, but I don't know how to make the audience feel involved. I previously filmed 'Celebrities Experiencing Delivery Drivers,' and the audience said, 'The celebrities don't understand the hardships of delivery drivers at all; they're just putting on an act.' What do you think is the problem?"

"The problem lies in the 'sense of distance'."

Hiroshi Nohara bluntly stated, "Viewers watch 'workplace experience' not to see how celebrities 'endure hardship,' but to see 'the unseen details of ordinary people's workplaces.' For example, a deliveryman could film how he remembers each customer's special requests when sorting packages at 5 a.m.—that Grandma Zhang's package should be left in the mailbox at the door, and Uncle Li's package should be confirmed by phone at a later time; film him heating up his lunchbox at the convenience store at noon; film him falling asleep on the bus after delivering the last package in the evening. These details are more powerful than celebrities 'putting on an act.'"

He picked up a pen and drew a simple storyboard on the paper: "You can have celebrities as 'observers,' not 'experiencers.' For example, have a celebrity follow a deliveryman for a day, without interfering in the work, only asking questions—'How many miles do you walk every day?' 'What do you do when you encounter customer complaints?' Let the deliveryman tell his own story. The audience sees a real workplace, and naturally they will feel a sense of identification."

The young director suddenly realized and nodded quickly: "Oh, I see! I was always thinking about letting the celebrities take the lead, and I neglected the ordinary people in the workplace. Thank you, Hiroshi-san, I'll go back and revise the plan!"

Another animation director asked: "Hiroshi-san, the urban legends in 'Yamishibai' are very scary, but viewers say they are scared but can't help watching. How do you balance 'horror' and 'resonance'? When I make horror animations, viewers always say that 'it's just scary, but not interesting'."

“Because the core of ‘Yamishibai’ is not ‘horror’ but ‘humanity’.” Hiroshi Nohara’s tone became more serious. “For example, in the ‘Scarecrow’ episode, what’s scary is not the scarecrow itself, but the story of the protagonist burning down his neighbor’s field for money and being ‘punished’ by the scarecrow in the end. What the audience fears is the sense of ‘evil will be punished’ and what resonates with is the principle that ‘one should not lose one’s conscience for the sake of profit’.”

He looked at the young director and said, "When you make horror animation, first think clearly about what you want to convey. Is it to tell us 'don't be greedy' or 'cherish your family'? Hide the moral in a horror shell, and after the audience finishes watching, besides being scared, they can remember something else. That's what makes it a success."

Questions filled the meeting room, ranging from the use of camera angles in documentaries to the pacing of variety shows and the plot design of animations, all of which Hiroshi Nohara answered one by one.

Instead of explaining complex theories, he used real-life examples from shows like "A Bite of China," "Yamishibai," and "Doraemon" to make abstract creative ideas concrete and tangible.

Each young director's notebook was filled with key points along with case studies, and the confusion in their eyes gradually turned into a clear light.

'dang dang dang'

"Sorry to bother everyone."

Just as Hiroshi Nohara was patiently answering questions, there was a soft knock on the conference room door.

Oda, a young employee in the production department, ran in and whispered in Hiroshi Nohara's ear, "Hiroshi-san, Director Sakata is waiting for you in his office. He said he has something important to discuss with you."

Hiroshi Nohara nodded and smiled apologetically at the room full of young directors: "It seems that today's seminar is over. If you have any questions, you can come to my office anytime or page me. Remember, the core of creation is 'sincerity'. As long as you sincerely want to tell a good story, the audience will definitely feel it."

"Thank you, Hiroshi-san!" The young directors stood up one after another, bowed deeply to him, and their voices were full of gratitude.

Hiroshi Nohara, carrying a teacup and script, followed Oda out of the conference room. As soon as he left, the conference room erupted in chaos.

"Hiroshi-san is amazing! He solved a problem that had been bothering me for so long with just one case!" Sakurako Honda said, holding her notebook with admiration in her voice.

“He’s more than just impressive! Look at him, he’s only 23 years old, and he can go directly to Director Sakata’s office to discuss matters. We newcomers rarely even get to go into the section chief’s office.” A young director from TV Tokyo said enviously, “I’ve been with the company for almost a year, and I’ve only seen Director Sakata once at an all-staff meeting. But Hiroshi-san can directly work with the director. The difference is just too big.”

“That’s because Hiroshi-san is truly talented!” another director retorted. “His works like ‘Yamishibai,’ ‘Seven Samurai,’ and ‘A Bite of China’ were all blockbusters. Even Governor Koike personally sought him out to discuss ‘information cocoons.’ Who else would receive such treatment?”

Everyone chimed in with their own comments, their eyes brimming with undisguised envy.

Some people took out notebooks and began to organize the key points that Hiroshi Nohara had just mentioned; others took out pagers and carefully saved Hiroshi Nohara's pager number, fearing that they might not be able to find him if there were any problems in the future.

In the corridor outside the conference room, several middle-aged directors were leaning against the wall, having overheard most of what Hiroshi Nohara had said.

One of them was Masao Iwata, who was in charge of period dramas. He had a cigarette between his fingers but didn't light it. His tone was somewhat wistful: "I used to think this kid was just young and lucky, but now I realize he really understands creation. I found his idea for the 'workplace experience' program very inspiring."

Asano Kita, standing next to him, chuckled and patted him on the shoulder: "You're only admitting it now? I've said it before, Hiroshi-kun is the 'Demon of TV Tokyo,' and that nickname isn't for nothing. Look at his 'Seven Samurai,' where he weaves 'class' and 'humanity' into the samurai story, even Kurosawa Eiji admires him; and his 'A Bite of China,' where he doesn't shout slogans, just films the lives of ordinary people, yet he manages to boost tourism. We old guys have been making films for twenty or thirty years and haven't achieved that."

“Indeed.” Ashikaga Takashi leaned in, his tone less arrogant and more respectful. “Before, I thought that as long as the costumes and props were exquisite, that was enough for making period dramas. But after watching Seven Samurai, I realized that without a good story, even the most exquisite visuals are useless. Last time I was talking to Hiroshi about the script, he said, ‘The people in period dramas also need to eat, sleep, and worry about making a living.’ That really woke me up. Now, in my new drama, I’ve added a lot of details about the characters cooking and sewing, and the response has been much better than before.”

Several middle-aged directors chimed in, their words filled with approval of Hiroshi Nohara.

In their youth, they were also full of vigor and thought they understood creation and the audience. But in Hiroshi Nohara, they saw something even more precious—a keen observation of life, a sincere respect for the audience, and a vision that was not limited by age.

“Let’s go, don’t just stand here.” Asano Kita turned around first. “Hiroshi-kun has gone to see Director Sakata, we should go back to work too. Instead of always envying others, we should learn from his ideas and make our own films better.”

The others nodded and turned to walk toward their respective offices.

Sunlight streamed through the windows in the corridor, falling behind them and onto the notebooks of the young directors at the conference room door, as if foreshadowing that TV Tokyo's creative future was heading in a brighter direction.

……

When Hiroshi Nohara arrived at the door of Nobuhiko Sakata's office, the door was ajar, and familiar conversation could be heard from inside.

He knocked gently on the door, and only after hearing Nobuhiko Sakata say "Come in" did he push the door open and walk in.

There were more people in the office than he had imagined.

Nobuhiko Sakata sat behind his desk, with Toshihide Takada and Asumi sitting on the sofa next to him. On the other side, three men in suits sat in chairs—they exuded the aura of a "campaign team," holding folders in their hands and with serious expressions on their faces.

"Hiroshi-kun, you've arrived." Nobuhiko Sakata put down the documents in his hand and pointed to the empty seat next to him. "Please sit down. Let me introduce you. These are the core members of Shimazu-senpai's campaign team, responsible for publicity strategies and public opinion surveys."

Hiroshi Nohara shook hands with the three men in turn and exchanged business cards.

The man at the head of the group was Watanabe Tetsuya, the publicity manager for Shimazu's campaign team. He shook Nohara Hiroshi's hand, his tone tinged with urgency: "Nohara-san, I've heard so much about you! I've come to discuss with you how to adjust our campaign strategy—with only a month left until the election, we want to take advantage of the 'information cocoon' effect and give it another push to try and surpass Tanaka Mikami's approval rating."

Hiroshi Nohara sat down, took the opinion poll report handed to him by Tetsuya Watanabe, and quickly flipped through it.

The report shows that Yoshihiro Shimazu currently leads in support among young people and traditional craftspeople, but among middle-aged and elderly people, he is still 5 percentage points lower than Mikami Tanaka.

“Middle-aged and elderly people are more concerned about ‘stability’ and ‘welfare’.” Hiroshi Nohara put down the report and said in a calm tone, “In the previous publicity, there was too little content targeting middle-aged and elderly people. There was only one point, ‘community cultural festival’, which was not specific enough. We can add a segment on ‘elderly welfare’, using scenes that are closer to their lives.”

He looked at Tetsuya Watanabe and continued, "For example, we could film a segment about visiting nursing homes, where Shimazu-senpai goes to a nursing home to chat with the elderly, listen to them talk about how inconvenient it is to see a doctor and how they want to see their children more often. Then he could propose specific policies—such as increasing geriatric outpatient clinics at community hospitals, launching 'special shuttle buses for children to visit relatives,' and providing free medical checkups for elderly people living alone every month. These policies need to be specific, so that the elderly feel they can truly benefit from them."

Watanabe Tetsuya's eyes lit up, and he immediately jotted it down in his notebook: "That's a great idea! We've always been thinking about 'improving elderly care' in the name of the government, but we haven't talked about how to do it specifically. The elderly are definitely worried. Nohara-san, where do you think would be a good filming location?"

“We could choose a nursing home in the suburbs of Tokyo,” Hiroshi Nohara suggested. “Most of the elderly people there have moved from the city and are familiar with Tokyo, so their words will resonate more easily with other middle-aged and elderly viewers. When filming, capture more details—like the reading glasses in the elderly person's hand, the small vegetable garden in the nursing home's yard. These details will make the scenes more realistic and warmer.” Toshihide Takada then spoke up: “Hiroshi-kun, there’s another question. Tanaka Mikami recently attacked Shimazu-senpai in his publicity, saying he ‘only relies on television hype and has no real achievements.’ Should we respond?”

“No need for a direct response.” Hiroshi Nohara shook his head. “A direct rebuttal would make us seem guilty. We can use ‘showcasing achievements’ instead of ‘rebutting.’ For example, we can film a short video about ‘Shimazu-senpai’s past work experience.’ We don’t need to film him in meetings or giving speeches; we can film him helping local farmers sell their rice when he was a member of parliament in Gunma, or old photos of him promoting the renovation of the fishing port in Chiba. We can then add interviews with locals—‘Shimazu-san used to come to the fields and chat with us often.’ ‘After the fishing port renovation, our fish can fetch a good price.’ Let the facts speak for themselves; that’s more powerful than a rebuttal.”

Asuka added, "I think it would be even more effective to combine this content with the promotion of 'cultural and tourism cooperation'."

No sooner had Hiroshi Nohara finished speaking than Asumi immediately chimed in, her tone carrying a hint of agreement: "Hiroshi-kun's idea is feasible. Combining Shimazu-senpai's achievements with 'cultural and tourism cooperation' can not only showcase his practical abilities but also leverage the popularity of 'A Bite of China' to let more people know that he is genuinely working for the people. For example, when filming him visiting Chiba Fishing Port, we could have Masayoshi Nomizu appear on camera and say, 'Back then, Shimazu-san helped us build a new dock, and now our tuna can be transported to Tokyo much faster, and our customers get the freshest tuna.' That would be much more convincing than empty descriptions of his achievements."

Watanabe Tetsuya nodded repeatedly and quickly scribbled in his notebook: "Okay! Let's go with this approach! Nohara-san, Asumi-san, when do you think this short film can be shot? We want to release it as soon as possible, while the 'information cocoon' effect is still in effect."

"We can produce a sample within a week." Hiroshi Nohara gave a clear timeline. "Tomorrow I will meet with Mr. Nomizu and the person in charge of the nursing home to confirm the filming time; filming will begin the day after tomorrow, editing will begin the day after that, and we can submit it for review next week. If there are no problems, it can be broadcast on TV next Wednesday."

Takada Toshihide then spoke, his tone tinged with caution: "Filming and distribution are no problem, but we need to control the budget—part of the budget has already been used for the previous 'Winter Flu Prevention' and 'Cultural Tourism Cooperation' campaigns, and we need to communicate with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government again regarding the additional budget for this campaign campaign."

“Leave the funding to me.” Nobuhiko Sakata put down his teacup, his tone resolute. “I’ll contact Minister Tadashi Hattori tomorrow and explain the situation. Since Lord Koike supports Shimazu-senpai, he will definitely agree to increase the funding. Moreover, this campaign is not only for Shimazu-senpai’s election, but also a practical application of ‘information cocoons’ in political propaganda, which will also benefit our station’s future development.”

Watanabe Tetsuya breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: "With Director Sakata's words, we are relieved. Nohara-san, we will need your help with the filming and editing from now on—after all, you have the most experience in designing the content of the 'information cocoon'."

"Don't worry," Hiroshi Nohara nodded. "I will follow up on the whole process to ensure that the content meets the principles of 'being close to people's lives and being realistic and specific,' and I won't let everyone down."

For the next hour, the group discussed the details of the shoot—from the location of the nursing home to the shooting time at the fishing port, from the selection of interviewees to the wording of the script, every aspect was discussed in great detail.

Hiroshi Nohara's ideas, such as "shoot more details and less slogans" and "explain policies in the language of ordinary people," have been recognized by everyone.

By the time the discussion ended, it was getting dark outside the window, and everyone's face carried a sense of confidence—they knew that this campaign would definitely achieve the desired effect.

The next morning, Hiroshi Nohara took his filming crew to the "Sunshine Nursing Home" in the suburbs of Tokyo.

The director of the nursing home was an elderly woman with gray hair named Sato Yuki. When she heard that she was going to film Yoshihiro Shimazu's campaign campaign and that it would help the nursing home get more benefits, she immediately cooperated enthusiastically.

On set, Hiroshi Nohara did not have Yoshihiro Shimazu pose for photos, but instead let him chat, play chess, and sunbathe with the elderly as usual.

In the video, Yoshihiro Shimazu is sitting on a bench under the shade of a tree, chatting with an elderly woman named Haru Suzuki. The woman holds his hand, sighs, and says, "My son works in Osaka and only comes back once every six months. Whenever I miss him, I can only call him on the landline, but I can't hear him clearly."

Yoshihiro Shimazu held the old lady's hand and said gently, "Suzuki-san, don't worry. If I am elected, I will open a 'video visitation room' in every community, providing computers and internet access free of charge. If you miss your son, you can video chat with him anytime. There will also be staff to help you operate it, so you don't have to worry about it."

The old lady's eyes lit up instantly, and she gripped Yoshihiro Shimazu's hand tightly: "Really? That's wonderful! If I can see my son more often, I won't have to worry about him every day."

The camera quietly captured this scene—the old lady's wrinkles were full of smiles, Yoshihiro Shimazu's eyes were full of sincerity, and sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves onto them, creating a warm and touching picture.

Hiroshi Nohara stood beside the camera and whispered to Shigeru Saito, who was in charge of filming, "Film this scene a few more times, focusing on capturing the changes in the old lady's expression and the strength with which Shimazu held her hand. These details are the most touching."

In the afternoon, the filming crew rushed to Chiba Fishing Port.

Nomizu Masayoshi was already waiting at the dock. He was wearing fishing pants soaked with seawater and holding a freshly caught tuna. When he saw Shimazu Yoshihiro, he immediately greeted him with a smile: "Shimazu-san, you've finally arrived! The dock you helped us build back then is working perfectly now. It used to take two hours to unload the fish, but now it can be done in half an hour, and the fish can be sold for a good price!"

Yoshihiro Shimazu walked to the pier, looked at the busy fishermen, and said with a touch of emotion, "Back then, when I saw how hard you worked unloading fish, I thought I must help you repair the pier. Now that I see everyone living a good life, I am happy too."

Hiroshi Nohara had the camera follow the two men, filming them from the dock to the fishing boat, from the fishermen unloading fish to the tuna auction.

In the footage, the smiles on the fishermen's faces, the luster on the tuna, and the neatly arranged fishing boats at the dock all serve as the best "proof of achievements."

When Masayoshi Nomizu said to the camera, "Shimazu-san truly cares about us fishermen, and we all support him," the fishermen around him nodded in agreement, their voices full of sincerity.

Over the next few days, the filming team worked tirelessly to complete the editing and dubbing.

Hiroshi Nohara personally oversaw the pacing of every shot and the wording of every line of text. For example, in the segment about elderly welfare, the text didn't use official language like "improving the elderly care system," but rather a straightforward statement like "ensuring that every elderly person can see their children anytime and doesn't have to travel far to see a doctor." In the segment about the fishing port, the text didn't mention "promoting the development of the fishing industry," but rather used relatable phrases like "enabling fishermen to sell their fish faster and earn more money."

A week later, when the two promotional videos were presented to Nobuhiko Sakata and Yoshihiro Shimazu, they couldn't help but admire them.

Looking at the images on the screen, Nobuhiko Sakata smiled and said, "Hiroshi-kun, you've created another miracle! These short videos don't contain a single empty slogan, yet they clearly explain Shimazu-senpai's achievements and policies, making them more effective than any campaign speech."

Yoshihiro Shimazu excitedly patted Hiroshi Nohara on the shoulder: "Hiroshi-kun, thank you! These short videos are so realistic. Seeing Grandma Suzuki's smile and the support from Nomizu-san and the others, I am even more confident in winning this election!"

That afternoon, the two promotional videos began airing on various channels of TV Tokyo, subway advertising screens, radio stations, and other channels.

The density of information cocoons has increased again, from morning news to evening variety shows, from office workers' commutes to housewives' housework time, almost every Tokyo resident can see these warm and real scenes.

"Have you seen Shimazu-san's new promotional video? The one about the nursing home, it's so touching!"

At the entrance of a convenience store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, a housewife wearing an apron named Tanaka Ryoko was chatting with her neighbor, holding a bottle of milk she had just bought. "Grandma Suzuki said she missed her son, and Shimazu-san said he would set up a video call room for visiting relatives and even provided a computer for free. How thoughtful! Unlike Tanaka Mikami, who only talks about 'improving elderly care' but doesn't say how to do it specifically."

The neighbor next door, named Miho Yamamoto, nodded repeatedly: "I saw it too! And the one about Chiba Fishing Port, Nomizu-san said that Shimazu-san helped them build the dock back then, and now unloading fish is much faster, and the fishermen all support him. Do you think our lives would be better if Shimazu-san were elected?"

“Definitely!” Tanaka Ryoko put down her milk, her voice full of anticipation. “Look at what he mentioned before about subsidies for returning to one’s hometown to start a business and traditional craft workshops—these are all really good things. My son is a programmer in Tokyo, and he always says he’s under a lot of pressure. He wants to go back to his hometown and open a small supermarket. If there are subsidies, he might really be able to go back!”

Just then, a business professional in a suit named Hyakukawa Ken, carrying a briefcase, hurried past. Hearing their conversation, he stopped and joined in: "I also think Shimazu-san is great. I saw his promotional video on the subway yesterday, which said he's going to increase geriatric clinics at community hospitals. My mom is getting old, and every time she goes to a big hospital, she has to wait in line for half a day. It would be much more convenient if the community hospital had a geriatric clinic."

Another elderly woman passing by—named Suzuki Haru, the same grandmother from the promotional video—said with a smile, leaning on her cane, "Let me tell you, Mr. Shimazu is such a kind man! The other day he came to the nursing home, held my hand and listened to me talk, he wasn't pretentious at all. If the video visitation room he mentioned can really be built, I'll be able to see my son more often, just thinking about it makes me happy!"

A larger crowd gathered, and everyone was praising Yoshihiro Shimazu's policies. Some said they supported his subsidies for returning entrepreneurs, others looked forward to his retirement benefits, and still others said they would get their families to vote for Yoshihiro Shimazu.

"However, haven't you noticed that there's something amiss with housing prices lately?"

Suddenly, a middle-aged man named Ichiro Takahashi frowned and spoke up, "I went to see a 60-square-meter apartment last week, and it costs 100 million yen! That's 20 million yen more than last year! My monthly salary is only 500,000 yen. Even if I don't eat or drink, it would take me 20 years to afford it. That's outrageous!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding discussions immediately shifted direction.

Tanaka Ryoko sighed, "That's right! My daughter is getting married next year and wants to buy a house in Tokyo, but after looking at several, they're all ridiculously expensive. I discussed with my husband whether we should buy one in the suburbs, but even those houses cost 80 million yen, which is still unaffordable."

Miho Yamamoto frowned as well: "My husband told me that recently many real estate companies have been frantically acquiring land to build luxury homes, but ordinary people simply can't afford them. If housing prices keep rising, ordinary office workers like us will never be able to buy a house in Tokyo in our lifetime."

“I also heard that the economy is about to have problems!” Bai Chuanjian lowered his voice, his tone tinged with worry. “My colleague’s brother works at a bank, and he said that recently many people have been frantically taking out loans to buy houses, and the banks’ bad debt ratio is getting higher and higher. If the bubble bursts, will our savings be affected?”

"Really?" Grandma Suzuki Haru's face changed instantly. "My life savings are all in the bank. What if something goes wrong?"

Takahashi Ichiro sighed, "I don't know if it's true or not, but housing prices rising like this is definitely not normal. I hope that after Shimazu-san is elected, he can manage the real estate situation and prevent the bubble from bursting, otherwise our lives will be miserable."

“Right! Didn’t Shimazu-san say before that he wanted to control the real estate bubble?” Tanaka Ryoko immediately chimed in. “I saw in his promotional video that he wanted to increase affordable housing and also restrict speculators. If he can really do that, maybe housing prices can come down.”

Everyone nodded, their eyes full of anticipation.

Although concerns about a real estate bubble loom over everyone, the policies proposed by Yoshihiro Shimazu have given people a bit more confidence.

Similar discussions are taking place elsewhere in Tokyo—whether it's downstairs in Ginza office buildings, in the old streets of Asakusa, in subway cars, or on park benches.

While people praise Yoshihiro Shimazu's policies on improving people's livelihoods, they also worry about soaring housing prices and a potential bursting of the economic bubble.

These discussions gradually turned into support for Yoshihiro Shimazu—everyone hoped that this candidate, who cared about the lives of ordinary people, could solve these problems for them after being elected.

Three days later, the opinion poll report of Yoshihiro Shimazu's campaign team came out—his overall approval rating had reached 53%, which was 6 percentage points higher than that of Mikami Tanaka!

Among them, the support rate among middle-aged and elderly people increased the fastest, rising from 40% to 55%, while the support rate among young people and practitioners of traditional crafts remained stable at over 60%.

"That's wonderful! Hiroshi-kun, thank you so much!" Watanabe Tetsuya rushed excitedly into Nohara Hiroshi's office with the investigation report in hand. "Now all the citizens of Tokyo are talking about Shimazu-senpai's policies, and many people who previously supported Tanaka Mikami have switched their allegiance to Shimazu-senpai!"

Hiroshi Nohara looked at the investigation report and smiled calmly: "This is not my achievement alone, but the result of everyone's efforts. Moreover, the citizens support Shimazu-senpai not because of his good propaganda, but because his policies are close to people's lives and can solve everyone's practical problems."

Just then, Asumi walked in, holding a newspaper, and said with a smile, "Hiroshi-kun, look! The Asahi Shimbun's front page today reported on Shimazu-senpai's campaign, and even mentioned the 'information cocoon' strategy, saying it's 'the campaign that understands ordinary people best.' The Yomiuri Shimbun also interviewed Grandma Suzuki from the nursing home and a fisherman from Chiba, and they both praised Shimazu-senpai!"

Hiroshi Nohara took the newspaper and quickly glanced at it.

Newspaper reports were full of approval of Yoshihiro Shimazu's policies and affirmation of the "information cocoon" strategy.

One commentary stated, "Yoshihiro Shimazu's campaign propaganda lacked flowery language and empty slogans; it focused solely on the lives and real needs of ordinary people. This approachable propaganda gave voters hope and increased their expectations for Tokyo's future."

“Oh, right, Hiroshi-kun, Director Sakata wants you to come to his office. He says he has something important to discuss with you.” Asumi suddenly remembered something and said, “It seems to be about publicity regarding ‘real estate bubble control.’ Governor Koike-san has given some new instructions.”

Hiroshi Nohara nodded and stood up: "Okay, I'll be right there."

As he walked out of the office, he encountered many colleagues in the corridor. They all greeted him warmly, their eyes filled with admiration.

Some people thanked him for his contribution to Yoshihiro Shimazu's election campaign, some looked forward to his upcoming "real estate bubble control" campaign, and others said they wanted to learn from his creative ideas.

Hiroshi Nohara smiled and responded to everyone, but he knew very well in his heart that everything he did, whether it was Yoshihiro Shimazu's campaign or his previous works like "A Bite of China" and "Doraemon," was to make the world a better place.

Although the shadow of the real estate bubble looms over Tokyo, he believes that as long as policies are conveyed with content that resonates with people's lives and people's hearts are connected with real stories, more people will be able to get out of their predicament and embrace a better future.

When Hiroshi Nohara reached the door of Nobuhiko Sakata's office, he took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

A new challenge has begun, and he is ready.

(End of this chapter)