I forever want to be the man behind the curtain!

The former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe was robbed of his precious life by gunshot. This is something that should never have happened in Japan, which is known as one of the safest countries in the world. I pray for him to rest in peace. When I was six years old, President Kennedy was assassinated in the United States. The shock of his assassination shook the world, and even as a first grader, I thought something terrible had happened when I heard the news. I am speechless that a similar event occurred in Japan in the year 2022.

Another major scandal that rocked Japanese society was the Lockheed bribery scandals in the past. As a result, the charismatic ex-Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, who had led Japan up to that point, was ousted from office. However, the truth has never been disclosed completely, and the theory that Kakuei Tanaka was framed still persists today. I remember that his departure was not a convincing ending because Kakuei Tanaka was still popular among Japanese citizens. One of the figures that appeared in a series of news reports about these scandals was a political puppet master by the name of Yoshio Kodama. He was a key figure working with the right-wing political party and he was an advisor to the yakuza. He also had financial connections with political figures such as Ichiro Hatoyama, another ex-Prime Minister, and he gave contributions to the Japanese government. I watched the daily news and learned about the existence of the role of political fixers in Japan.

I probably had this feeling leftover from childhood somewhere in the back of my mind when I learned about political masterminds as a kid. I came to think that I would always like to be the man behind the curtain. Simply put, these masterminds are not famous, nor do they stand out in public, and no one will ever know their identities. However, they technically control the system and have the power of influence over many people. Their only advantage is that they are not usually the ones to have a hit put out on them. After all, since they operate behind the scenes, they are not visible enough in the public eye to be stabbed or murdered. That is the privilege of these puppet masters. What an attractive role that is.

Perhaps the management of Sound House has something to do with my longing to be a puppet master. The company has grown to be the largest in the industry in such a short time, so we must have many enemies in the same industry no matter how many customers love Sound House, but that is not a problem if we are not visible from the outside. I have never been in front of the public despite Sound House being the second largest company in Narita, Chiba, where the company is headquartered, after Narita Airport. It’s not that I’m bragging about being the owner of the largest company in Narita, it’s just that I have never even been invited by the Narita Chamber of Commerce and Industry. I have never been invited to meetings by anyone in the music industry, nor have I ever had an exhibit at any trade shows in Japan. I don’t have a driver, and when I go to a hotel, I prefer to drive my old battered car instead of a Rolls-Royce, park in the parking lot, and walk to the entrance by myself. My apparent attire has not changed since I was in my 20’s, so, nobody thinks I’m a corporate executive. I’m very happy about that.

I believe that being behind the scenes has helped the growth of Sound House in the age where the Internet environment and society have drastically changed. I even think that I would like to be behind the curtain forever because I’m not invited to any meetings from anyone within the industry, so I don’t have to waste my time. I don’t have to make time to give interviews for newspapers or magazines, so I can focus on my work where I put my customers first. That means I can save time because I have no connections with the domestic industry. This is why I am always able to spend time with my clients and devote myself to my work.

Nevertheless, I can no longer avoid media appearances after our Onagawa office opened. A national TV station came to cover the handover ceremony of the former Onagawa Junior High School building, and I had to give interviews for several newspapers. Is this another transition point of the times? If I ever get the chance, I will accept offers for interviews because it is obvious that Onagawa’s development requires cooperation and understanding from everyone.

Wait a minute... If the person behind the curtain goes in front of the public, does it mean I will now be the target? If I could stay in my basement and control people from the underground, that would ensure my safety. Once I go above ground, however, that means there is the possibility of being shot and killed. I still have a lot left for me to do, so it is too early to die. Thus, I hope to remain behind the curtain forever, but on the other hand, a new era will come for me when I finally leave the basement and show my face. I’m worried about that and now I’m writing down my sleep talking nonsense in a daydream.