A town on the brink of extinction started dancing in costumes from a minor anime, and the result was so scary…

消滅危機の街が、マイナーアニメの衣装で踊り始めた結果がヤバすぎた…

Shinjo City, Yamagata Prefecture, has been designated as a “municipality at risk of extinction” as 400 people disappear every year. For some reason, the person who raised his hand to save this town was a former dance instructor and Naoki Prize-winning writer. Amid the cold voices that say, “Improving a town with a novel? That’s impossible,” the author sets this town as the goal of his trip to bookstores across the country in hopes of winning the Naoki Prize, gathers together children with no dance experience, and sets up an outrageous challenge. Can a historical novel really change the fate of a disappearing city? This is a true story of an incredible chain of events that occurred in a small castle town with a history of 400 years. ■ Trivia about Shogo Imamura and the Ushu Boro Tobigumi 〇 The Naoki Prize-winning author runs his own bookstore: After witnessing the harsh current state of bookstores during a festival trip, Shogo Imamura decided to “do it by himself, not just with his mouth” and set out to run a bookstore. In December 2023, we will open “Saga no Shoten” inside Saga Station. We decided to open the bookstore as a way of paying back the favor of winning a literary award in Saga and making our debut, and this marks the return of a bookstore to Saga Station for the first time in about four years. We also operate multiple bookstores, including Honmaru in Jimbocho, Tokyo. 〇Before becoming a novelist, he was a buried cultural property investigator: Before becoming a writer, Shogo Imamura had a unique career as a dance instructor, composer, and buried cultural property investigator in Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture. While working on excavating ruins at the Moriyama City Buried Cultural Properties Center, he continued to write novels at night. The sense of history he developed through this experience of investigating ruins was later utilized in his depictions in historical novels, including “The Shield of the King,” which won the Naoki Prize. 〇The Edo mansion of the Shinjo clan is now the French embassy: The Edo mansion of the Shinjo clan, where the story takes place, was located in what is now Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo. This site is currently used as the site of the French Embassy. The upper residence is located near present-day Higashiazabu, Minato Ward, Tokyo, and the family temple of his vassals in Edo still remains at Jorinji Temple in Mita, Minato Ward. The area connected to the Shinjo clan still lives quietly in a prime location in modern-day Tokyo. 〇The festival floats at the Shinjo Festival are all remade every year: The Shinjo Festival (a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage) that appears in the script has an amazing tradition. Unlike Aomori Nebuta, the festival floats are not made by full-time professionals, but residents’ organizations called “Wakaren” in each town spend several months handcrafting the floats in their spare time from work. What’s more, all but the best works are demolished after the festival, and all are rebuilt every year. This tradition, which has continued for over 260 years, may be the very essence of the “borotobi soul.” ■Reference materials The following sites are used as reference materials. ・Shogo Imamura x Shinjo City Ushu Boro Tobi Gumi and town revitalization – Marui Hachimonjiya (hachimonjiya.co.jp) ・Shinjo 400th anniversary commemorative project official website – Shinjo City (city.shinjo.yamagata.jp) ・Dance project Ushu Boro Tobi Gumi activity report – Shinjo Festival Official (shinjo-matsuri.jp) – 34th YOSAKOI Soran Festival Results – YOSAKOI Soran Festival Official (yosakoi-soran.jp) – Shogo Imamura’s “Festival Journey” Tour of 47 Prefectures – Novel Maru (shosetsu-maru.com) – TV Anime “Hi-Eating Bird Ushu Borotobi-gumi” Official Website – TBS (tbs.co.jp) – Profile of Naoki Prize-winning author Shogo Imamura – Shodensha (shodensha.co.jp) – Shinjo 400th anniversary project – Bunka News (bunkanews.jp) – Population estimates for Shinjo City – Shinjo City Official (city.shinjo.yamagata.jp) ■Watching precautions/disclaimer This video is entertainment (fiction) based on real people and records. In the production of the story, some of the characters’ feelings and conversations are dramatized, but there is no intention to slander any specific individuals or groups. ■About related people and works The statements and actions of Shogo Imamura, Shinjo City officials, and Dance Project members who appear in this video are based on publicly available news reports, official websites, and documentary footage. The “Ushu Boro Tobigumi” series is a copyrighted work of Shodensha. ■About viewing the work The TV anime “Hikuicho Ushuboro Tobigumi” was broadcast on the TBS network. It can be viewed on various distribution services. The original novel is currently being published by Shodensha Bunko. Please check the official website of each service for the latest distribution status. ■Materials borrowed VOICEBOX (Zundamon): https://voicevox.hiroshiba.jp/ Standing picture (Ahiru Sakamoto): https://commons.nicovideo.jp/works/im… Irasutoya: https://www.irasutoya.com/?m=1