おじさんゲットだぜー!
In the small town of Kawara in Fukuoka Prefecture, something unexpected is happening at the Saidosho Community Center. While kids in most parts of Japan are obsessed with Pokémon cards — or perhaps the franchise’s latest smartphone game, Pokémon TCG Pocket — the children of Kawara are clutching to something a little closer to home.
They are playing a trading card game (TCG) where the stars aren’t fantasy creatures, anime heroes or even famous baseball players, but ojisan (middle-aged or older men) from the local community of Saidosho.
…
“We wanted to strengthen the connection between the children and the older generations in the community. There are so many amazing people here. I thought it was such a shame that no one knew about them,” said [Eri Miyahara, the Secretary General of the Saidosho Community Council], in an interview with Fuji News Network (FNN). “Since the card game went viral, so many kids are starting to look up to these men as heroic figures.”
The plan worked. Kids have started attending local events and volunteering for community activities — just for a chance to meet the ojisan from their cards. Participation in town events has reportedly doubled since the game launched.
Tokyo Weekender: Middle-Aged Man Trading Cards Go Viral in Rural Japan Town
Your move!
See also:
James Carse on Finite Games, boundaries and licenses
World without ends
C. Thi Nguyen: Games, agency and value plurality
C. Thi Nguyen: games annd agency; games as art
[Apparently I’ve neglected to post something from Bernard Suits excellent The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia – I’ll try to remedy this soon]