After being elected as the governor of Tokyo, he will debut as a band!

The meeting materials included a summary of security incidents related to street performances compiled by major media outlets in Tokyo, as well as relevant complaint and report data collected by the Digital Services Bureau from the digital systems of various towns. The materials were also categorized according to different types of complaints/reports, which clearly showed the points of dissatisfaction among the public regarding the "Gigocho Cup" preliminary rounds.

In addition to the five members of the Public Safety Committee, the meeting was also attended by the director of the Bureau of Life and Culture, as well as representatives from the Bureau of Digital Culture and the Tokyo Fire Department.

The Bureau of Culture and Lifestyle is the main oversight body for this music awards ceremony co-organized by the government and businesses, while the representative of the Bureau of Digital Culture is responsible for the documents and data. In addition, considering that many of the complaints collected contain concerns about fire safety, the Fire Services Department also needs to use its expertise to provide advice to the governor and the committee.

After a brief silence, a member of the Public Safety Committee spoke up, “Your Excellency, I believe the problem lies in the street performance zones established in popular locations throughout the city. These zones concentrate street performers who were originally scattered across the city. These people were already a group of restless individuals who caused a lot of trouble for local authorities when they were independent. Now that they are all gathered together, if any troublemakers incite public sentiment, it could easily lead to public order incidents.”

“Is that so? However, according to the information provided in the documents, your claim is not tenable…” Aoyama flipped through nearly thirty pages of documents in his hand and stopped at a particular page. “The performance areas are all equipped with comprehensive surveillance equipment, and they are also closer to the police station. In the event of a security incident, nearby police forces can quickly arrive at the scene. Therefore, rather than saying that concentrating street performers increases their probability of breaking the law, it is more accurate to say that we can better supervise this group of street performers and quickly deal with and warn them when they make mistakes, thereby preventing the situation from escalating.”

The committee member considered for a moment, then nodded noncommittally, "What you said makes sense, but I reserve my opinion."

"...So, Inspector Horiuchi, what's your opinion? Since the start of the Gochō Cup Music Awards, has the police manpower shortage become more severe than before the awards were held?"

Tokyo's police force has always been relatively strained, so there isn't a dramatic shift from not being strained before the music awards to suddenly becoming strained afterward. Aoyama Mukaji's statement essentially defines the issue, meaning that regardless of the actual situation, "temporary" police shortages are the maximum the Metropolitan Police Department can complain about.

Since the police force shortage is "temporary," the solution should also be "temporary," which means hiring temporary workers. This way, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department wouldn't need to allocate funds to the department, since temporary workers are much cheaper than regular employees in Japan.

Superintendent General Kazumasa Horiuchi also looked down on this small amount of money. Rather than increasing the number of temporary workers, he hoped to use the "street performance support program" to set up several new formal departments. After all, increasing the number of civil servants under his command was the lifelong mission of every civil servant.

So he nodded slightly and gave a clever answer, "As Your Excellency the Governor said, overall, the police force in Tokyo has not become more strained... in fact, the security pressure in most towns and districts has not increased."

While the number of cases has decreased somewhat, in some towns with concentrated commercial areas, the frequency of patrols by local police units has increased significantly… The Metropolitan Police Department is considering dispatching officers of the superintendent level to provide unified command and scientifically coordinate police resources to ensure security throughout the music festival without increasing the number of temporary staff.

Qingshan gave him a deep look but didn't say anything.

Sending personnel to temporarily take command—this phrase is actually a coded language used in Japanese officialdom.

The superintendent is considered a high-ranking police officer, and they certainly can't handle things by themselves alone. They need to set up an office composed of several people. So where do the staff of these offices come from? For the time being, they can be transferred from the detachments or police stations where the work is easy. But this can't last forever. As long as there is an opportunity, this temporary office can become a permanent one, and the staff will become new civil servants.

The more civil servants under his command, the greater his influence in the Japanese bureaucratic system, and the stronger his chances of promotion will be within the civil servant system.

However, that's all for later. As long as the Metropolitan Police Department is on his side right now, Aoyama doesn't mind giving him this benefit.

"Inspector Horiuchi's suggestion is quite prudent and mature... Let's do it that way. Also... Chief Takeuchi, you should also communicate with the 'Gigocho Cup' organizing committee and have them set quota limits for each performance area, especially the more popular ones. The bands should draw lots to get the opportunity to perform. Once the quota is full, the remaining bands should go to other performance areas. This will reduce the probability of conflict caused by crowds gathering and also ensure that the remaining street bands are still under the close surveillance of the numerous security facilities in other performance areas. You two can discuss the specifics yourselves."

"Yes."

Director Takeuchi gestured to his secretary to take notes.

"Then the next topic is the phenomenon of some street performers 'dividing up territory'."

Isogachi Music Awards: 096 The Belonging of Aiko, Lost Child or Bond?

The practice of marking territory has a long history among street performers, especially those large street bands who, relying on their numbers or connections with certain forces, occupy high-traffic areas and prevent others from using them.

If the police or community workers try to drive them away, they will say that they are not engaged in any profit-making activities, but are simply accepting donations from fans while performing and giving them a few CDs as a bonus.

Some of them may even be members of a certain cult, and they use the excuse of accepting donations from believers to explain their actions, making it even more difficult for the police to expel them.

It is well known that all sorts of cults are rampant in Japan. In addition to the objective reasons of the collapse of values ​​brought about by the "lost thirty years" and the social pressure that makes people urgently need spiritual salvation, the lax supervision of related groups by the media and the government is also one of the reasons.

These chaotic religious sects can provide channels for tax evasion and money laundering, as well as a stable and large pool of votes for politicians. So even though they have done so much evil and harmed so many people, they still live comfortably.

To get back to the point, this kind of territorial marking by street performers isn't a recent phenomenon, so the important figures at the meeting didn't see it as an issue that needed to be addressed at this meeting.

Even if the governor really wants to create a fair performance environment for all street performers, it's not something that can be accomplished in a short time.

The act of street performers "marking territory" is not a legal act, but a customary practice based on common agreement. Therefore, to prohibit it, it must first be defined as a legal act, which requires discussion and approval by the council.

Given the efficiency of those councilors, I reckon they'll still be unable to reach a clear conclusion by the time the "50-town Cup" is over.

Not to mention that sectarian issues might also be involved, which could lead to endless arguments in parliament.

“Your Excellency, based on the principles of liberalism, we should leave such matters unattended and let the people resolve them themselves.”

A member of the Public Safety Committee offered this suggestion.

“I disagree with your point of view,” another committee member objected. This person was completely biased towards Aoyama’s side. “Mr. Ishikawa, you think that the authorities have no legal basis to interfere with this behavior, right? But I think this situation applies to the relevant provisions of the Consumer Contract Law. When a street performer occupies a certain area and prohibits other performers from performing in that area, it actually infringes on the consumer’s right to freely choose the recipient of donations.”

"So, according to you, Mr. Atsuta, a group of street performers doesn't have the right to exclusively perform in a certain area? Wouldn't that lead to multiple groups of street performers gathering in a popular area, performing for each other and interfering with each other, turning beautiful music into noise that disturbs the peace?"

Committee member Ishikawa retorted sharply.

“Isn’t that perfect? ​​The noise that disturbs the peace will definitely lead pedestrians to complain to the local site management or town hall, and in this way, they will all have a reason to intervene and mediate.”

The Japanese have a unique cultural characteristic in this regard. If they see two people fighting and bleeding on the street, they won't interfere but will stay far away—as long as it doesn't affect them.

However, if two people shout and make noise in the street, a lot of people will immediately call the police to report them. Japanese people are very sensitive to noise, to the point that even the slightest noise will prompt a police report. If it is the middle of the night, even the sound of footsteps can become a legitimate reason to call the police. Although the Japanese police force is limited and may not be able to handle such minor cases in time, it is still very annoying for renters to be warned by their landlords.

“Committee Member Atsuta’s proposal is feasible to some extent,” Aoyama concluded, setting the tone for their discussion. “However, we also need to consider the limited scope of oversight, and we cannot implement it across the entire Tokyo metropolitan area… For now, let’s limit it to train stations and the major shopping districts of Roppongi, Ginza, and Ikebukuro. During the peak hours of the week, different bands from the same band will take turns using the same venue. The Metropolitan Police Department will have to decide on the specific implementation method.”

……

A few days later, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Metropolitan Police Department issued a joint statement in response to the "deteriorating security" issues raised by the media over the past few weeks.

In addition to establishing a temporary unified police force, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government invited reporters to visit the security facilities of the three performance areas, demonstrating its determination to both successfully implement the "Arts and Culture Promotion Plan" and ensure public safety.

The preliminary rounds are progressing steadily, and the first round is drawing ever closer.

……

It was another day after get off work when I came to the Starlight Performance Hall to connect with the store manager and the four rock girls from the Link Band.

Unfortunately, Ijichi Hoshika was called away by the organizing committee of the "Goshicho Cup" to discuss the setup of the preliminary round stage.

Only Ms. PA and Toyokawa Shoko, a part-time worker, were minding the store.

With the boss away, Ms. PA brazenly slacked off, even setting up a laptop behind the counter to play games and stream them live—Qingshan peeked at her screen and discovered that there were quite a few people watching the stream.

Unfortunately, the persona used in the live stream was a suit.

Not wanting to disrupt Ms. PA's livestream, Aoyama went to Toyokawa Shoko and ordered a few drinks, one for himself and one for the two of them, as well as for the band, the Bond, in the practice room.

Everyone, including Chihaya Aine, an outsider, each had a cup.

"Ms. Toyokawa, shouldn't it be about time to stop Ms. Chihaya's guitar lessons with Pochi?"

Hearing the cheerful laughter coming from the practice room, Aoyama couldn't help but ask a question.

"...Chihaya's skills are still not very proficient, and I think it is necessary for her to continue learning."

Shoko Toyokawa was still not satisfied with Ayane Chihaya's guitar skills... even though Ayane Chihaya was improving very quickly and was already showing signs of surpassing Ikuyo Kita.

"But the preliminary round of the 'Gigocho Cup' is just around the corner, and the Bond Band is a major competitor of yours. Aren't you worried that Chihaya Aine might lose her composure when facing the Bond Band on stage? Or that she might switch sides at the last minute?"

"You mean if we face off against Ijichi-senpai and the others in the elimination rounds, Chihaya-san will go easy on us?"

“I’m afraid it’s even more serious than that. When I went to RIinG before, Shiina Tatsuki from your team told me about the current situation of Miju…” Aoyama didn’t beat around the bush and his words hit Toyokawa Shoko’s heart directly. “Given Miju’s current state of being so fragmented, it’s hard to say whether Chihaya will feel more at home with Miju or with the Bond Band on the day of the preliminary round.”

Isokachi Music Awards: 097 Shoko: I'm going to take care of Nagasaki Motoyo!

shame.

After hearing what Aoyama said, only two words came to mind for Toyokawa Shoko.

The band she painstakingly assembled should have been a top high school band, but now it's on the verge of falling apart.

Nagasaki Motoyo believes that the band's activities, particularly the "Mizushige" band activities, have in fact resulted in the exclusion of Komu, which is a contributing factor to Komu's serious psychological problems. Out of guilt, she decides to stay by Komu's side and will not return to band rehearsals until Komu recovers.

Chihaya Aine showed Suze a photo of the medical report issued by Mutsu's psychologist, hoping to alleviate Suze's psychological pressure. However, even though the photo had the hospital's stamp and the doctor's signature, Suze still did not trust its authenticity and even doubted Aine's motives for showing the photo.

The two sides parted on bad terms.

Although Chihaya Aine didn't say anything and continued to participate in band activities, Toyokawa Shoko could sense that as long as Nagasaki Motoyo wasn't around, her mind wasn't on Mishige.

Shoko Toyokawa had also communicated with Mutsumi Wakaba at Motoyo Nagasaki's insistence, but she did not find anything wrong in her conversation with Mutsumi Wakaba, which made her doubt Motoyo Nagasaki's attitude—one of the two must be acting, it was either Mutsumi Wakaba or Motoyo Nagasaki.

In Toyokawa Shoko's memory, although Wakaba Mutsu was taciturn, he was not good at acting (difficult to break down), so this was undoubtedly Nagasaki Motoyo's last and most powerful act of resistance in order to rebuild the crychic in her mind.

If the band Crychic takes the stage in the preliminary round of the "Gigocho Cup" in a few days and becomes known to the public as a five-member group, and even catches the eye of some talent agencies and entertainment companies, then rebuilding Crychic will be even more difficult.

Motoyo Nagasaki... is indeed the root of the band's chaos.

Without hesitation, Toyokawa Shoko labeled Nagasaki Motoyo as the "number one traitor" in her mind.

If he wants to make the most of the opportunity and debut by winning the preliminary and elimination rounds of the "Gigocho Cup", he must eliminate this "number one traitor".

“Mr. Hack, please rest assured that the current dejected state of the Miju band will not last long,” Toyokawa Shoko said to Aoyama with a firm gaze. “In three days at most, you will definitely see Miju united and ready to face the preliminary round of the ‘50machi Cup’.”

"Oh? Then I'll wait and see..."

Qingshan shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

In his view, Toyokawa Shoko did indeed have a strong competitive spirit.

However, whether she has the ability to unite people is a question mark for Aoyama.

……

An hour later, Toyokawa Shoko finished her part-time job for the day. She handed over her work to Ijichi Nijika, then, with a resolute and serious expression, prepared to leave.

Chihaya Aine knew from her appearance that she was going to find Nagasaki Motoyo.

"Xiao Xiang, wait a minute, you're going to find Su Shi, right? I'll go with you."

"Don't follow me."

Toyokawa Shoko rejected her without hesitation.

Are you kidding me? You're the kind of person who gets confronted by Su Shi to her face and doesn't even dare to fight back. Taking you along would be like sending Su Shi a giant blood vial, wouldn't it? What if I've just made Su Shi feel so ashamed, and you suddenly rush up to her and say, "Xiao Xiang, is it really necessary to go to such lengths? Look, Su Shi is crying," and then she'll start trembling again?

Because of her sweet appearance, Toyokawa Shoko wasn't very intimidating even when she was angry. However, Chihaya Aine didn't want to provoke her, so she pretended to agree. But as soon as the former went out, she planned to follow her.

However, her stealth was too strong when she was stalking people, and she was caught red-handed by Iji Chiseika, who had just returned from a meeting, as soon as she stepped out of the Starry Night Exhibition Hall.

"Chihaya, what are you doing sneaking around like that?"

"Manager, please keep your voice down, don't let Xiao Xiang hear you."

Chihaya Aine was startled and quickly hid behind Iji Tomoka, thus avoiding being seen by Toyokawa Shoko who suddenly turned around.

"Oh, I see, you want to follow Toyokawa?"

Ijichi Hoshika tilted her head, looked her up and down, and then looked enlightened.

"Shopkeeper, your wording is not quite right. I was worried that Xiaoxiang would get into a fight with someone, so I wanted to accompany her from a distance."

Chihaya Aine quickly explained.

"Silly child, how can you stalk someone like that..."

Ijichi Hoshika pointed to Inspector Megure, who was lounging around reading comic books in front of the bookstore across from the Starry Night Showroom. He was wearing an afro wig, mosquito coil glasses, and an oversized logo T-shirt. This outfit made him, despite being a muscular and strong man, blend into the crowd and become indistinguishable.

"Look closely at that person over there, doesn't he look familiar?"

Chihaya Aine stared intently for a while before instinctively letting out a startled cry, "Isn't that the heavy metal enthusiast who captured me before? Why is he dressed like a manga fanatic today?"

"Can't you tell? This guy isn't a heavy metal fan or a comic book enthusiast. He's just dressed up and investigating something around here."

"Undercover police?"

Chihaya Aine looked around anxiously, "Could there be a vicious criminal hiding in Shimokitazawa Town?"

There were no vicious criminals, but there was one desperately hungry high school girl.

"Never mind what he does, I just want to tell you... if you want to follow someone, you should at least disguise yourself, otherwise it will be easy for the person you are following to find out."

“Yes, that makes sense… but I didn’t bring any extra clothes with me today, so there’s no way to disguise myself. Besides, disguising myself would take too long, and by the time I’m done, I probably won’t be able to find her anymore.”

Chihaya Aine hesitated.

How do I know if there is a problem?

Do you have a website? I love you

"You don't need to worry about either of these things. Disguise doesn't necessarily require too many clothes or complicated makeup. Sometimes, just a few small items can have a miraculous effect... As for Toyokawa, her financial situation isn't very good, so she definitely won't take a taxi. And the tram at the nearby station just left, so she'll have to wait at least fifteen minutes. That's more than enough time to disguise herself. Most importantly, we happen to have a master makeup artist here."

As she spoke, Ijichi Seika pulled Chihaya Aine back into the performance hall.

Ms. PA, who was live-streaming her gaming session, caught a glimpse of her returning out of the corner of her eye. She immediately closed her laptop and greeted her with a beaming smile.

"Manager, attending the town hall meeting must have been tiring. Would you like me to make you a cup of refreshing orange juice?"

Isogachi Music Awards: 098 Ninja Aine Attack

Seeing PA's expression, Ijichi Hoshika knew that PA must have been playing games and slacking off behind the bar while there weren't many customers and Toyokawa Shoko was in charge of serving customers.

But she didn't care about that.

She didn't open this performance hall to make a lot of money. Her main purpose was to support her sister Hongxia's band activities, get to know more independent musicians, contribute to her beloved rock music career, and finally, make a living.

"Put the orange juice aside for now, Ms. PA, could you please quickly dress Chihaya up so she looks like a completely different person?"