Tokyo Game Show '98 Autumn was held since 10/09/1998 till 10/11/98 by Computer Entertainment Software Association (CESA) at Makuhari Messe, Chiba.
This report is the latter part.
You can see the previous column here.


On 10/10/1998, I left my home at 9:00 a.m. I reached Messe by bus at 9:50 a.m. The procession reached Chiba Marine Stadium. However the stadium was the turn. I had to keep walking till 11:40 a.m. out of Messe.

If you went there by train, you would go to the Kaihin Makuhari station. SEGA gave people there plastic bags. The letters "Dreamcast" were printed on them.
Nextday I left my home at 10:00 a.m. I reached Messe by bus at 10:45. I entered into Messe the same time. What did it mean??????????

By the way, do you know Japanese Convoy?
Banks in Japan are under convoy called "Ministry of Finance (MOF)."
MOF is pronounced like "moff" or "ookurashou."
Formerly every enterprise was under convoy. Most of the enterprise was under Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI). In fact, the Game Show was supported by MITI. Under convoy, every enterprise had to fall into step. Entertainment industries used voice actresses in order to develop video game titles. They had several voice actress events to promote the titles. They also had to fall into step in such events.

10/10/98

I saw several events. Those software houses also fell into step.

1. Tomy (12:30-13:00); Kikuko Inoue, Miki Nagasawa
   As you know, Tomy is a large-scale toy manufacturer in Japan. On the other hand, Tomy has developed video game titles.
   Tomy developed "Gungho Brigade" a simulation game like a robot anime.
   Tomy used several popular voice actors at this title.
   However this game system produces its battle scene using its 3D image generating software. It means the game is rather slow.
   Players are looking forward to hearing popular voice actresses' cries. So they will not mind the slow system.
   
   As you know, Kikuko Inoue was the most popular voice actress in Japan. She is married and has a baby at present. Recently she began to work as a voice actress again. She plays the role of Belldandy in TV-anime "Ah! My Goddess."
   I formerly introduced Miki Nagasawa at my anime column. As you know, she played the role of Ryo Hayakawa (Princess Nine), Miyu Yamano (Vampire Miyu) and Kamome Sengakuji (Cyber Team in Akihabara) recently.
   Her natural voice is different from these three characters. Her voice is much shriller than those of three characters.
   Her body is very delicate and slender.
   It seemed Kikuko Inoue hardened her abdomen.
   As you know, Kikuko Inoue was very much popular. There are still a lot of her followers. They believe of her as a goddess Belldandy. Belldandy will smile from ear to ear. Her heavenly smile will make us silent.
   So Miki Nagasawa, who is a very popular voice actress at present, kept Kikuko in counternance.
   
   Now Kikuko often saw a place near me to bow low. I stood at the left side of the stage. Kikuko looked back to smile to a place near me. So Miki Nagasawa kept seeing Kikuko and her eyes.
   
   It is said that Kikuko was often mistaken about audiences. Perhaps she was under the illusion that I was her acquaintance.
   This illusion is a kind of missions.
   
   
2. Konami (13:00-13:30); Houko Kuwashima
   Konami's event was held at the main stage of the Game Show. Thousands of young men came in front of the stage.
   Of course, I could not see the event it well.
   Konami is famous for a large-scale amusement machine manufacturer. On the other hand, Konami has developed video game titles, for example, "Tokimeki Memorial."
   Konami makes goods related with its own game titles. They are sold at Konami's shop "Kona-milk."
   Ms Houko Kuwashima played the role of Yurika Misumaru (Nadesico). She is very much shy, it is very famous. She will go into her self-satisfaction world.
   She was under the illusion that she got very much popular.
   The event was held as a public recording. She was very much high-tensioned. She began to ignore the audience. She kept talking with microphones by herself.
   I have seen her three times. The event was one of the worst.
   
   
3. Tonkinhouse (14:00-15:00); Akiko Nakagawa, Harumi Ikoma and Mifuyu Hiiragi
   Tonkinhouse is not famous. However it is a subsidiary of "Tokyo Shoseki." Tokyo Shoseki is one of the largest publishers in Japan. It is very famous for textbooks for pupils. The company is very old.
   Recently the number of elementary school students decreased. Textbook publishers began to publish various books. Especially Tokyo Shoseki publishes a lot of books on literature and travel. Recently Tokyo Shoseki began to develop videogame titles. One of them was "Season of L." Tonkinhouse used several popular voice actresses for it. Rio Natsuki (Battle Athletess DAIUNDOUKAI), Yukana Nogami (Card Captor Sakura), Harumi Ikoma (Kodomo No Omocha), Mifuyu Hiiragi (Lost Universe) and Akiko Nakagawa played the role there.
   Of course the RPG is expected by players.
   The event was held as a scene in a classroom of "Season of L." 50 audiences could enter the room. Of course I could not enter it. I saw the event at the outside of the room.
   Most of audience were fans of Akiko. They questioned her actively. Some were fans of Ikoma. Of course I am. One questioned Harumi Ikoma. He said, "What did you destroyed today?" If you are fans of Harumi Ikoma, you can understand the question. She is called "Destruction Goddess."
   That day she said, "Today I do not destroy anything!!!"
   None questioned Mifuyu Hiiragi though she is a famous voice actress.
   
   
4. SNK (Its Plan 15:00-15:30, Result 15:05-15:55); Reiko Chiba
   As you know, SNK is a local amusement machine manufacturer at Esaka of Suita-city in Osaka. But Nakoruru and Samurai Shodown is rather popular all over the world. SNK's amusement machine "King Of Fighters" is also very famous. But Osaka people think SNK is not so large.
   Nakoruru is very popular among doujinshi-writers in Comike. They promote Nakoruru actively.
   On the other hand, SNK produced a TV drama program "Athena." SNK has a female character "Athena Asamiya." It was named after Saki Asamiya from "Sukeban Deka." SNK has dealt with Athena as a psycho-soldier character in "King Of Fighters." This time SNK made an adventure game "Athena." The TV drama was produced in order to promote the game. The game has not been completed yet.
   The audience expected the game, of course.
   SNK wanted to promote its new portable game client "Neogeo Pocket." It costs 7,800 yen. It is rather expensive. SNK used 16-bit CPU for it. It can connect with SEGA Dreamcast.
   Ms Reiko Chiba is famous as a young president. Her company deals with computer business. Formerly she was an idol star. She played the role of Cham Cham from Samurai Shodown. She did masker as Nakoruru in order to promote Samurai Shodown several years ago. She gets rather sociable at present.
   The event was held as her interview with SNK directors-general.
   These directors-general have developed several SNK game titles, King Of Fighters, Athena, and Samurai Shodown.
   In Japan, a group of simulation game titles are very popular. They are called "Bringing up Simulation Games", for example, Tokimeki Memorial and Angelique.
   In the event, hosts showed 9 doubtful rumors. SNK directors-general answered the questions on them.
   In the questions, SNK showed they are developing a Bringing up Simulation game title. It is called "Sodatete Kyo." It means "Please bring up Kusanagi Kyo." Of course, players must bring up Kyo in the King Of Fighters world. Female fans expect the title.
   SNK showed Orichi snakes story in King Of Fighters ended at the King Of Fighters '98. It means Iori Yagami may be dead.
   It is very shocking.
   Moreover SNK designs Iori's younger sister. She has not appeared at King Of Fighters yet. They said, "If Iori's younger sister appears, Iori himself will not appear at the new version of King Of Fighters."
   In Samurai Shodown, it was pointed out that Shizumaru Hisame did not appear at Hyper Neogeo 64.
   Shizumaru Hisame is very popular among Yaoi Doujinshi comic cartoonists. Most of them are girls. SNK developers said, "We could not make polygon-type Shizumaru, because Shizumaru is globular."
   

1. Bunka Housou (JOQR, 10:30-11:00, 12:00-12:30) Megumi Toyoguchi, Mayuko Omimura, Atsuko Enomoto, Katayose Dark(10:30); Mayuko Omimura, Atsuko Enomoto, Takeshi Doi(12:00)
   
   As you know, Bunka Housou is located at Tokyo. It is a radio broadcasting station. Formerly it was founded by several cultural enterprises including Oubunsha.
   Then Oubunsha was a large publisher for high school students. Oubunsha was founded by Yoshio Akao. Before World War II, he wrote and published a famous English glossary for preparatory school students. It was called "Akao No Mametan." Akao Family and Oubunsha earned a lot of money then. Thereafter they had published many kinds of references for university entrance examinations.
   After World War II, Yoshio Akao wanted to establish a private radio station. It was founded as Bunka Housou. It had broadcast a radio seminar for university entrance examinations.
   The seminar had several popular lecturers, for example, "J.B.Harris" "Ichirou Tajima" and "Jin'ichi Konishi."
   Mr. Robert Harris is a son of J.B.Harris.
   He is a writer. He wrote a book "Exiles" (Kodansha). He speaks Japanese and English. A famous voice actress Haruna Ikezawa is influenced by him.
   
   At present, Bunka Housou stoped broadcasting seminars. It broadcasts Anime information.
   In the event, it promotes its programs on anime and video games.
   It chose Ms Mayuko Omimura as a host.
   Mayuko Omimura is a famous voice actress. But she is not so popular. She is very young. The fans regard her as a rather dull woman.
   She said, "Ippai-ippai."
   The Japanese phrase means "I am at the limit of my abilities."
   The phrease is very famous among her fans.
   Ms Atsuko Enomoto was born on 11/01/1979.
   She put it on. Ms Mayuko Omimura was so dull that she began to control the event.
   Bunka Housou sent few broadcast engineers including Mr. Dark Katayose. Katayose himself entered their open staff room to produce the event as well as to control other engineers. They were all very busy.
   
   
2. Tomy (12:30-13:00) Tomokazu Seki, Konami Yoshida
   Tomy developed "Gungho Brigade" a simulation game like a robot anime.
   That day Tomokazu Seki and Konami Yoshida appeared there.
   As you know, Our Tomokazu Seki played the role of Touji Suzuhara from EVA. At present, he plays the role of Touya Kinomoto from Card Captor Sakura. As I wrote formerly, he has his own troupe "Hero Hero Q Company." Ms MIki Nagasawa also belongs to the troupe.
   He also speaks much loudly.
   Ms Konami Yoshida is famous for playing the role of Ms Umi Ryuzaki from Magic Knight Rayearth.
   She also speaks much loudly. The two were accustomed to such events.
   They controlled the event for themselves.
   
   
3. T & E Soft (13:00-14:00) Kikuko Inoue, Maria Yamamoto, Otakky Sasaki
   T & E Soft is an old software developer in Japan. It developed a popular videogame title "Harukanaru Augusta" in 1989. It was a golf tournament simulation game.
   More than one million players bought the title. It was licensed by AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB.
   T & E Soft was founded in 1982. It is located at Terugaoka, Meitou-Ward, Nagoya-city. It is near Fujigaoka terminal of Nagoya city subway. The office is near Fujimigaoka Park.
   If you want to the office, you may get in the subway train of Higashiyama Line of Nagoya city subway. Fujigaoka terminal is a terminal of Higashiyama Line.
   T & E Soft developed a RPG title "Sonata." They try to promote the title. They started a radio DJ program "Ka-Ki-Ku-Ke Kikuko No Sa-Shi-Su-Se Sonata" on Bunka Housou.
   It is produced by Otakky Sasaki, a director of Bunka Housou. He gets more popular recently.
   Its hosts are Ms Kikuko Inoue and Ms Maria Yamamoto.
   Ms Maria Yamamoto is 17 years old. She is a small and pretty girl. She plays the role of Kano Miyazawa from Kare-Kano. (Kano Miyazawa is a younger sister of Heroine Yukino Miyazawa.)
   Mr. Otakky Sasami wore a middy blouse and skirt. That time "he" always wore one called "Sailor-suits" for girls' school students to promote videogame titles.
   He works for Bunka Housou. On the other hand, he produces several videogame titles.
   In the event, Kikuko Inoue controlled Otakky Sasaki and Maria Yamamoto.
   Kikuko Inoue put it on there. She sang two songs. She had to sing a song ad lib.
   Maria Yamamoto also sang two songs. She sang correctly and nobly.
   She spoke actively. However Kikuko Inoue tried to stay at the center of the stage. Kikuko Inoue pushed Maria Yamamoto toward the wing.
   
   
4. Ascii (14:00-14:30) Chisa Yokoyama, Megumi Toyoguchi, Ouji Hiroi
   As you know, Ascii is a famous publisher on computer sciences.
   Its monthly magazine Ascii started in 1977. Ascii was founded by Mr. Kazuhiko Nishi. He started the first personal computer business in Japan. He was a friend of Bill Gates. Nishi introduced Microsoft Basic in Japan.
   Thereafter Nishi began entertainment contents business in USA. Moreover he began LSI business in Japan. He failed them. He had to leave his own company in 1998. At present, CSK controls Ascii.
   CSK is a large-scale system integrater in Japan. CSK's owner Isao Ookawa has also controlled SEGA. (Sega's Executive Director Hidekazu Yukawa is also an executive of CSK.)
   Ascii has developed a lot of video game titles. This time Ascii tried to promote a RPG title "Mars Story."
   As you know, Producer Ouji Hiroi has produced many video game titles. Among them, Sakura Wars were very popular.
   Ms Chisa Yokoyama played the role of Sakura Shinguji from Sakura Wars. (Of course, she is famous for Sasami from Magical Girl, Pretty Samy.)
   Ouji Hiroi produced the title. He also produced a unit named "Flower Children" as a musician.
   Flower Children consisted of Chisa Yokoyama and Megumi Toyoguchi.
   They played the important roles at the title.
   Recently Ouji Hiroi produced several game titles. In the Game Show, he appeared at many events. He had to speak loudly to promote his own games. He seemed to be very tired.
   As you know, Ms Chisa Yokoyama can speak English. So she promoted herself in USA. On the other hand, in Japan, she has a lot of abnormal fans like gang. I did not know it. Her Japanese fans were not normal but dangerous. Perhaps their leader let gang deploy there.
   She was very slender. She and Megumi Toyoguchi sang two songs.