Big Shots

In Tokyo, Japan, on April 8, 1996, Suzuki was about to host a launching event in the exhibition hall of Tokyo Big Sight. In fact, Suzuki didn't only rent the exhibition hall but also the other space for other companies to exhibit their products.

Suzuki also invited the KiShin company and its Chairman, Shinro Suzuki.

Shinro Suzuki was personally invited by his brothers in the press conference, and media and newspapers talked about it.

Almost many people in Japan, as long as they're not living in a cave or a hermit that disconnects themselves from the world, know that the KiShin chairman, Shinro Suzuki, is the son of the current chairman of the Suzuki Group. Shinro Suzuki's other brothers are still working in the Suzuki Group, and various magazines or newspapers released an issue of the KiShin founder and chairman, Shinro Suzuki, having a bad relationship with his brothers.

The topics and rumors started after Shinro Suzuki became known as the 'Suzuki Youngest Prince,' and these rumors became more wild after Shinro Suzuki was covered and interviewed by Forbes.

The title "Suzuki Youngest Prince" didn't sound presumptuous since the wealthy Suzuki family offspring, the children of the current Suzuki chairman, actually have the blood of the royal family of Japan.

As the mother of Shinro Suzuki and the wife of the current chairman of the Suzuki Group is actually of royal blood.

That's right, Airi Suzuki indeed came from the Japanese royal family, and that's one of the main reasons why Sazama wanted Shiro to marry Airi.

And with that, the royal family actually contributed a little to the rise of the Suzuki Group as a company. Because of the marriage between Shiro and Airi, the royal family can be said to be now related to the Suzuki family.

Now, with Shiko Suzuki personally and publicly inviting Shinro Suzuki during the press conference, many people were left to speculate about this gesture of Shiko Suzuki.

Whether the invitation had good or bad intentions, they're subjects of speculation...

In the KiShin Headquarters:

"Will you attend?" Mira asked Shin in the office after watching Suzuki's press conference. Shiko Suzuki's personal and public invitation during the press conference was attention-grabbing. Considering Shin's already established reputation and influence in Japan, it was no surprise that it would gain attention.

"Well, it doesn't sound bad, does it?" Shin said with a smile. He paused, then added with a laugh, "I guess my two older brothers wanted to show off their latest handheld..."

"It seems they're pretty confident in their handheld, huh?" Mira chuckled, recalling that KiShin had also finished their latest handheld, the Gameboy Advance.

On April 9, 1996, the Suzuki launching event finally took place at Tokyo Big Sight.

Many companies were present to promote their products, with crowds gathering, and even a vendor selling Toriyaki and other food stalls.

Media outlets were also present for coverage, and gradually, well-known figures in the business world arrived, such as the elder son of Tora Chairman, Itori Tanaka.

Then there's Masayoshi Son, arriving at Tokyo Big Sight. The Suzuki Electronics event was quite high-profile, complete with a red carpet to welcome wealthy individuals like Masayoshi Son, the founder and CEO of SoftBank—a telecom giant primarily offering telecommunication services in Japan, including fixed line and mobile phone services. SoftBank also challenged the monopoly of NTT.

Personally invited by the Suzuki brothers, Masayoshi Son agreed, understanding their intention. They sought his support and investment in the development of their video game sector.

While Masayoshi Son recognized the potential of video games, he viewed entering and investing in such an industry, especially with a tough competitor like KiShin, as carrying significant risk. If the risk were low and the profit immense, he would likely dive in, much like how he recognized the potential of the internet and invested substantially in it. He even formed a joint venture with Yahoo! Japan.

Masayoshi Son wouldn't have accepted the invitation if not for the fact that the Suzuki Group wielded considerable influence in the business world. Additionally, his daughters had grown fond of video games, especially Pokémon, adding a personal touch to his decision.

Then there was the CEO of NEC, Shigeo Miyauchi. As a major electronics manufacturer, Suzuki invited him so Shiko could discuss possible support for the development of Suzuki's video game sector. Given NEC's technical expertise in chip design and display technology, Shiko believed that with NEC's support and investment, future handhelds or video game consoles would exhibit better quality and improvements.

Hideo Takenaka, the Minister of Financial Services, was also present. His inclusion signaled Suzuki Electronics' commitment to economic responsibility and transparency. Suzuki Electronics aimed to attract investors and boost public confidence.

Additionally, the Governor of the Bank of Japan attended. His presence held the potential to secure favorable loan terms or investment opportunities, providing crucial financial backing for Suzuki Electronics' ambitious endeavors.

Those knowledgeable about the business world were quite surprised by the presence of these influential individuals at just the launching event of Suzuki Electronics.

It's reminiscent of when the KiShin founder revealed himself to the world for the first time. However, unlike that occasion, only a few well-known business individuals participated, such as the Chairman of Tora Corporation, the president of Tora Electronics, and the Chairman of the Suzuki Group, and CEO of Suzuki Electronics. Besides them, there weren't many influential and wealthy individuals from the business world at the KiShin conference.

Contrastingly, at this Suzuki launching event, while the Chairman of Tora and Chairman of Suzuki Group were absent, those who arrived so far were either influential in business or politics. They were escorted to the VIP room where the elites gathered, with the Suzuki brothers entertaining them. This alone suggests that Suzuki Electronics is seeking support.

Then, the crowd outside Tokyo Big Sight almost caused a commotion when Shinro Suzuki arrived. As the participants in the launching event were mostly video game fans, they were excited to see the father of video games arrive.

Shin was a bit surprised by the cheers of the crowd, but fortunately, his menacing bodyguards prevented any disturbances. However, the crowd seemed undeterred by the bodyguards' looks as they attempted to lay their hands on Shin.

Fortunately, stanchions and velvet ropes, along with people blocking the advances of the crowd, prevented any untoward incidents.

"Damn... Am I this famous already?" Shin, however, felt a bit astonished and complicated inside. He didn't expect people, especially the Japanese, to want to touch him with expressions seemingly desiring to rip his clothes and see him naked.