Chapter 125: The Dilemma of a Public Figure (Long Chapter)
Akishin showed a hint of hesitation in his voice, but the intent behind his refusal was crystal clear.
He considered the difficulties Toshiki was facing, then linked them back to the man's purpose for coming here—using Akishin's reputation as a famous figure to promote the name of Itomori Town.
By doing so, the residents of Itomori would see a glimmer of hope. They would then entrust him with their funds, and with that money, he could develop Itomori into a tourist destination.
As long as Itomori flourished and the people became prosperous, the ambition harbored in his heart would be fulfilled.
It was an ideal development process. It wasn't guaranteed to succeed, but it was a solid enough path. Toshiki had decided to gamble on it because he truly didn't know what other step to take next.
"Is Chishima-sensei worried about the endorsement fees? Regarding that, while we can't provide much at this moment, they can be paid out gradually in the future. The total amount certainly won't be small..."
Toshiki's attitude was remarkably humble, going as far as suggesting a payment plan.
This investment was actually quite shrewd. Akishin's influence couldn't be called massive, but it certainly wasn't small either. Next year he would participate in the Kendo tournament again, and the year after that, and the year after that...
He was currently twenty-four years old, in the prime of his youth. No one could guarantee whether he would defend his title, win multiple times, or become the next Masahiro Miyazaki...
Once such achievements were reached, a small investment now would yield massive returns. Furthermore, even if he didn't reach those heights later, his current accomplishments were already enough to put Itomori's name on the map.
Akishin shook his head and said, "It's not a matter of money; I'm not hurting for cash at the moment... Miyamizu-san, the matter of asking me to be an advertising ambassador—I really can't do it. I only know Kendo. When the name of this region is promoted, the people who come will likely be those related to the Kendo world, yet Itomori doesn't have any projects or facilities that cater to Kendo..."
From Toshiki's perspective, this was a minor issue, barely worth noting. What he wanted was fame—to let the people of Japan know that a place called Itomori Town actually existed.
But from Akishin's own position, to put it simply, it was a hassle. It might be viewed as just a matter of taking a few photos or nodding his head, and then ignoring everything else while collecting a paycheck.
—It was almost the same as an endorsement from a star or an idol; no, it should have been even simpler than that. He wouldn't even need to travel to various places for promotional tours.
As long as Toshiki spread the word that he had become the ambassador for Itomori, there would be no need for excessive promotion. As long as the media caught wind of it, plenty of reporters would flock to Itomori for interviews, and at that point, Itomori's name would become famous automatically.
However, this was something that simply shouldn't be done. Akishin was a public figure in the world of Kendo, which carried a fundamental difference from being a movie star. Doing such a thing would mean violating existing rules, damaging industry norms, and lowering the collective standard of public figures...
Simply put, if Akishin actually went through with it, he would be cheapening himself and would be looked down upon by many.
At the moment, Akishin's fame hadn't reached a level where this would be overly conspicuous, but when his achievements grew higher in the future, this incident could have a massive impact.
It could even overturn the very meaning represented by the term "Public Figure."
Of course, the most likely outcome would be his removal from that category entirely—as if the world were saying, *Our apologies, we don't know who this person is.*
The biggest difference between a Public Figure (Meijin) and a celebrity, if viewed simply, was whether they served the general public.
A Public Figure does not serve the general public. On the contrary, their existence is to set a standard for the public, so that people walking that same path can move forward by referring to that standard.
For example, Hayao Miyazaki in the world of anime, Joe Hisaishi in the world of music, Akira Kurosawa in the world of film, Soseki Natsume in the world of literature...
They have transcended the level of serving the people; or rather, it could be said that they serve the industry itself—existing solely to produce better works.
Technically, Akishin couldn't be called a "Meijin" yet because he hadn't contributed much, but the term in Japan generally referred to figures in various fields who possessed high-level skills and were deeply respected.
The Kendo Tournament was held once a year, and each time there was only one champion. Since its inception until now, there had been fifty-nine editions, and the number of people who had won the title was only forty-two.
Fifty-nine editions, forty-two people—within the entire field of Kendo in Japan, one could imagine the prestige involved.
Therefore, even though Akishin had only completed one major achievement, no one objected to him being categorized as a public figure of note.
And such a figure, of course, had to maintain the dignity of their position.
This long explanation was actually just to point out one thing—Akishin could not be the ambassador for Itomori Town!
Toshiki tried to persuade him several more times, offering substantial promises of rewards, but Akishin rejected them all.
Seeing the consistently firm expression on Akishin's face, Miyamizu Toshiki finally gave up. A shadow of gloom inevitably crept onto his serious face.
So it really wasn't possible?
Did he have to just give up like this?
Sigh!
Seeing Toshiki's condition, Akishin's hand paused as he was about to take a sip of tea, his brow furrowing. Did this man really not know the consequences of asking him to be an advertising ambassador?
Toshiki truly didn't know the repercussions of asking a prestigious figure to do an endorsement. He only knew that finding someone very famous could help promote Itomori.
He certainly understood the difference between a master of a craft and a movie star, but it was just promoting a small tourist area—what kind of impact could that possibly have?
Mainly, he just hadn't thought that far ahead.
The problems of Itomori had left Miyamizu Toshiki with little room for other thoughts. Additionally, Itomori was remote, and access to outside information was relatively limited, so his awareness of such nuances had diminished.
Akishin wasn't sure if Miyamizu Toshiki knew the consequences, but it didn't really matter. Regardless of whether he understood or not, Akishin would still refuse.
He also didn't intend to explain the real reason to Miyamizu Toshiki.
What if it turned out the man actually *did* know?
Where would he put his pride then?
It was just...
Akishin didn't understand why Miyamizu Toshiki was so obsessed with overhauling this small town.
Earlier, the pedestrians he encountered on the street were mostly wearing smiles. Although the place wasn't wealthy, it could be said to be quite prosperous. To call it a peaceful and flourishing place to live was no hyperbola.
Why the rush to change?
If a real problem occurred, higher government agencies would surely step in to help; there was no need to go this far.
Kondo Keiko arrived with the tea, placing it down slowly in front of Miyamizu Toshiki.
Miyamizu Toshiki offered his thanks, picked it up, and took a small sip. The bitter tea spread through his mouth, and the disappointment on his face seemed to deepen.
But that only lasted a few seconds.
After gathering his spirits again, his expression returned to its usual seriousness. Toshiki set down the teacup, took a deep breath, faced Akishin, and prepared to take his leave.
Akishin asked, "Miyamizu-san, why do you want to turn Itomori into a tourist area? I see that the people don't seem dissatisfied with their current lives..."
Akishin voiced the doubt in his heart. Although he had only arrived yesterday, he felt that Itomori was truly good in many aspects. The opening of the ritual yesterday had been very pleasant as well.
For a place like this, the desire to turn it into a tourist destination was natural, but to insist on doing so while facing various difficulties...
It felt like his priorities were a bit backward.
"Does Chishima-sensei care about this?"
Hearing the question, Toshiki hesitated for a moment, picked up his teacup again, glanced at Shizuka beside him, and then gave a bitter smile. "Actually, it's not for some grand reason. It's just a bit of personal desire. I don't want Itomori to disappear."
"Disappear? What do you mean by that?"
"Does Chishima-sensei understand the current situation of Japan's aging population?"
"I know enough about it..."
Akishin raised an eyebrow. So it was related to that.
The situation of the aging population in Japan was extremely serious and had begun to jeopardize the development of the entire nation.
Currently in Japan, the number of elderly people over the age of 65 had increased by 320,000 compared to the previous year, reaching 35.88 million people, and their proportion of the total population had risen to 28.4%.
It was estimated that this proportion would continue to rise, reaching 30.0% by 2025 and 35.3% by 2040. (Note: These are 2019 data points, provided for reference.)
As the aging problem grew more severe, various new social issues continued to emerge in Japan, causing widespread concern across different circles.
A survey released by a Japanese research firm on October 24th showed that among the factors causing distress, "traffic accidents involving elderly drivers" ranked first at 71.5%.
By the end of the year, the number of elderly drivers over 75 in Japan reached 5.63 million, and it was expected to increase to 6 million by 2020.
Traffic accidents caused by elderly drivers were on the rise. Last year alone, fatal accidents caused by drivers over the age of 75 numbered 460 cases, accounting for 14.8% of the total—a record high in history.
The worsening aging problem was having various negative impacts on Japan's economy and society.
The burden of pension funds, medical costs, and other expenses continued to rise, putting the Japanese government's budget under immense pressure; there was a labor shortage; and young people had little faith in social security, leading them to plan for old age early and reduce consumption, which made it difficult for Japan to escape deflation...
The aging population problem also made many people increasingly worried about the pension system. A recent survey by Kyodo News showed that 84% of respondents felt anxious about Japan's current pension system.
Regarding the reasons for feeling anxious about old age, a 38-year-old male farmer in Aichi Prefecture said, "if the birth rate remains low and aging continues to worsen, the pension fund will decrease"; a 27-year-old male employee in Hokkaido stated, "there is a possibility of not receiving a pension at all," and so on, as they voiced fears of reduced pension payments and the collapse of the system itself...
Furthermore, there was another major problem accompanying the aging issue. Young people in rural Japan were flocking to the cities, and once they left, they basically never returned, causing the number of "ghost villages" and "marginalized" villages to increase.
The number of "marginalized" villages in Japan exceeded 15,000—villages where the elderly over 65 made up 50% of the population. In some villages, the youngest person might only be 65 years old.
This further weakened Japan's resilience against natural disasters. In short: in those villages, the cry of a baby existed only in distant memories...
But this was the price Japan had to pay.
If not for the dedication of those elderly people in the past, Japan could not have risen so quickly after the war.
They were the most pitiful generation. When they were young, they gave all their energy to the country, yet in their old age, they were cast aside by the state, often without basic life security and not knowing when they would pass away. Because of this, several new professions had been created based on this very situation...
Akishin often saw seniors in their sixties or seventies still working on the streets.
Did they love their jobs?
Definitely not!
Hardly able to walk yet eager to work—that was a joke!
It was truly out of necessity.
If they didn't work, they likely couldn't even afford to buy food.
There were rumors that the Japanese government planned to raise the retirement age to over seventy. Although specific regulations hadn't been published yet, this alone had already caused dissatisfaction among many.
There were young people who mocked themselves, saying whether they could even live to seventy was still a question mark.
Akishin usually heard these things—he couldn't help but hear them, as this was a major issue concerning the fate of the Japanese nation.
Television discussed it often, newspapers reported on it frequently, and there was always news about it on his phone. Even while walking the streets, he had once been stopped by a reporter for an interview about his views on the matter—but this couldn't be changed. Aside from joining in on cursing the Japanese government a few times, he couldn't do anything.
Putting himself in someone else's shoes, if in the future when he was old, he ended up just like them—childless, or with children who couldn't even take care of themselves, and the country he had served his whole life still couldn't offer anything in return—it would be truly desperate...
...
"Miyamizu-san, is Itomori also facing the problem of an aging population and a low birth rate?"
Akishin set down his teacup, his expression slightly uncomfortable. This could be considered the explanation for why Miyamizu Toshiki wanted to turn Itomori into a tourist area.
First, the place did indeed have the foundation to be a tourist spot, and second was the issue of aging and the low birth rate.
Hiratsuka Shizuka and Kondo Keiko glanced at each other. Both of their eyes held a touch of confusion. Well, they were people who didn't quite understand the gravity of it.
Miyamizu Toshiki lifted his cup and took a small sip, then sighed. "That's right. Even though Itomori doesn't look too serious yet, the situation is already moving rapidly in that direction.
The elderly are increasing, and the young are fleeing to the outside. The number of students at Itomori High School currently, compared to five years ago, has been cut by more than half. Newborn babies don't even reach a fifth of what they used to be. And every year, the students who leave rarely come back.
There simply aren't any jobs here for them.
Besides, Itomori's mining industry dried up long ago, the fishing resources are only enough to meet our own needs on a limited basis, and there are almost no other industries...
If Itomori continues like this, it's likely that in ten years, it will become a 'marginalized' village.
I don't want Itomori to become like that. By then, there will be many elderly people who need to be supported. The government can't even take care of the big cities, let alone a place like this. So, I want to open a new industrial sector.
As long as it becomes a tourist area, the young people who left will return, and tourists will also come here to spend money. When everyone is prosperous, they naturally won't worry about the problems of old age.
As the Mayor, I need to resolve all of this.
That's the professional side of it, but there is also a personal reason..."
At this point, Miyamizu Toshiki took another sip of tea. A faint smile appeared on his serious face, which then turned bitter, as if he were reminiscing.
"...Itomori is my hometown, and it's also the place where I grew up with Futaba. By the way, Futaba was my wife, but she passed away from illness a few years ago.
I want to preserve Itomori, perhaps because I also want to see the traces of her existence here... Haha, my apologies, Chishima-sensei, I unintentionally started talking about family matters."
"No, Miyamizu-san. You are a man worthy of respect. I truly admire you."
Akishin shook his head, bowing his head slightly as a sign of respect. This was his form of acknowledgment.
"What admiration? This is just part of the job."
Miyamizu Toshiki shook his head as if mocking himself, his expression returning to its serious state. For the last time, he lowered his head in a plea. "Then, Chishima-sensei, are you now willing to become the ambassador for Itomori? The rewards I promised will be given to you without a single yen missing in the future."
Miyamizu Toshiki was incredibly persistent. Having just shared the reality of Itomori's situation, he immediately made the request again, clearly hoping to use emotion to get Akishin to agree.
Unfortunately...
Akishin still shook his head firmly. "I'm sorry, Miyamizu-san, this is something I really can't help with. You should look for other movie stars; they would likely accept such an offer..."
Moved as he was, and emotional as he felt, there were far more people in this world who were more unfortunate than them. He couldn't possibly gamble his future to do promotion for them.
—It seemed Miyamizu Toshiki still hadn't fully thought through the consequences of inviting a figure of his standing for promotional means!
Hearing Akishin tell him to find a movie star, Miyamizu Toshiki let out a long breath and shook his head...
Ultimately, Miyamizu Toshiki only finished that one cup of tea before leaving. Akishin didn't stop him, but both parties still exchanged contact information.
Maybe it would be useful in the future...
Just maybe.
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