“Pokemon Happy Birthday Concerts” are now all
over without any accident!

To those of you who came, thank you very much!
The last concert was in Hokkaido and it was snowing
very hard…
but I was glad to find a large audience there!

This time, we held concerts in 4 places in Japan,
Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and lastly Sinnoh.
I was really glad that many people came to all of
these places, and what’s more, they all played castanets.
It was really moving.

Well, there were some difficulties because this
was a new attempt and I was not used to it.
But it was a very fruitful new challenge,
which let us have a fun and wonderful time.
More than anything, my greatest pleasure was
that I was able to meet Pokemon fans!

In producing this concert, I was given a free
reign and I could pursue my vision freely.
I was telling myself that an opportunity
like this would not come very often…
But still I’d like to challenge something
new again in the future.

I repeat the words I said on the stage!
“The world of Pokemon keeps expanding. Look
forward to it!”

Ciao!

On the plane to Seattle, I saw a movie called
“The Devil Wears Prada.”
The movie was very well-made and made me want
to do my job with a style. It gave me a power.

When I watch a movie like this, I realize all
the more that it’s tough to make a decision.

For instance, advertising photos for brand-name
clothing or cosmetics. Who are they targeted at?
What images and concepts are intended?
etc, etc…
First, decide on various directions, and
then pick up directors and photographers who
are good at those images,
and take numerous pictures…
and then choose the one picture from the
numerous collection of photos,
and the one at the top makes the final
decision.

That person makes numerous decisions,
and hidden behind them are his/her thoughts,
knowledge from the past, and sensibility.

It’s not easy to pick something that
many people will think of as ‘very good’
all by oneself.

In terms of games, a game designer makes
a decision and the director makes a final
decision from a wider point of view.
Is this game really fun to play?
What about the concept?
How does it link to other features?

Do men and women feel the same way?
Do people all over the world feel the same way?
What about the reactions from the society?
etc.
I’m not talking about the responsibility
of the person making the decision…
I think it important to have a wider point
of view, and to be able to look at the whole
picture carefully from various angles.
You shouldn’t overlook small details,
and you also need to draw lessons from past
experiences.

By going through such process, that one thing
becomes deeper and sharper. It even begins
to have some kind of a message.
The importance and the difficulty of making
a decision. The necessity of the decision maker
who has a wider point of view.
Really, it opens up a new horizon.

If you come upon an advertisement for
a brand-name product, take time to interpret it.
What does it intend to say? If it’s clear to you,
that advertisement is of high quality.
If you become able to read these messages
from the ads, your judgment becomes more
sophisticated.

But really, ‘decision making’ is tough but fun.
The world is going around because of that.

See ya.

I went to Seattle from November 29th to December
2nd. It was a four days and two nights trip!

This trip was for the ‘localize’ process,
which is to translate into other languages…

On the day of our arrival, Seattle was freezing…
And it was snowing, although I hear it rarely
snows in Seattle!
It made us feel even more freezing…
The lowest temperature I heard was minus 8 degrees
Celsius (17.6 degrees Fahrenheit)!
I tried to wear many clothes but it was freezing
all the same…

It was hard to do the job in Seattle because of
the time difference, but in the end we were able
to do a rewarding job of very high quality even
in such a short period of time.

The North American version of Pokemon Diamond
and Pearl is now approaching its completion
thanks to the best staff both in North America
and Japan!
The completion of this game will be even better
than the current Pokemon series! Please look forward
to it.

There will be some time before it will actually
be available on a store shelf, but it includes
the function of an ultimate trading system called
Global Trade Station!
You will be able to trade with people in North
America!
It’s just exciting only to think about it!!

See ya.