Now more than ever, read this: Disneyland Comes to Japan! The Dawn of "Entertainment"

"I've never felt the era changing as strongly as I have this year."

This single line, casually slipped into a Facebook post by a senior creative figure, pierced my heart like an arrow.
Not just pushing forward at the cutting edge of the times, but continuously creating the next era.
Even such a senior figure, who seems so unshakable, is bewildered.
The wave of change threatening to engulf the advertising world in 2014 is so immense it makes your head spin.

The book I introduce today is one that truly resonates during such a transitional period.
It's Disneyland Came to Japan! The Dawn of "Entertainment" by Yasuo Baba of Hoichoi Productions (Kodansha +α Bunko).
The author is also the creator of popular books like "Whimsical Concepts" and "Tokyo's Best Shops," as well as blockbuster films like "Take Me Skiing."

A book that embodies the sheer fun of entertainment

This book tells the story of bringing the massive theme park Disneyland to Japan.
It weaves together the stories of three individuals: Shoichi Kotani and Teiichiro Hori from Dentsu Inc., and Walt Disney.
This grand nonfiction tale weaves together the stories of these three men from Japan and the US.
From the 1974 battle between two companies vying to bring Disneyland to Japan, to the grand presentations made to Disney, and the persuasion of 1,800 fishing families living in Urayasu – these grand episodes truly prove that "truth is stranger than fiction."
This book itself, which offers the exhilaration of fiction while delivering a robust documentary experience, possesses entertainment value that speaks volumes about entertainment.

An episode revealing the essence of hospitality

Here is one episode that deeply impressed me.
One of the protagonists, Shoichi Kotani, sought to raise the profile of the hall he managed in 1955 by inviting Marcel Marceau, the leading figure in pantomime from France, to Japan.
Kotani assigned one of his staff to accompany Madame Marceau, who was traveling with her husband. This staff member was tasked with accompanying her on every shopping trip, whether in Ginza, Asakusa, or elsewhere. Kotani then instructed this staff member to do something specific, setting up a surprise.

"When a woman shops, she always hesitates between two items. Record everything she hesitated over and ended up not buying."
(Omitted) When Madame Marceau departed Haneda, Kotani presented her with a box containing every single item she had hesitated over and ultimately left behind. (Omitted) A woman's lingering indecision is proof she liked the item. Some she might have even regretted not buying. Kotani bought them all and gave them as gifts. (P.67)

She had simply shopped on a whim.
Yet, imagine the astonishment and joy of the lady who received a final gift that seemed to read her very soul.
The book is filled with many such episodes.
Capturing the heart. If possible, like magic.
It makes you deeply contemplate what true hospitality should be.

Entertainment is about capturing people's hearts.

These numerous episodes, where the characters' unique charm shines through, teach us what it truly means to capture someone's heart.
And as you encounter these numerous episodes, you suddenly realize the meaning of "entertainment" as mentioned in the title. Entertainment can be interpreted in many ways, but isn't it essentially about "capturing people's hearts"?
The characters have leveraged this entertainment power to achieve one major challenge after another.
This entertainment power isn't just useful for attracting theme parks or running events.
Considering how every advertisement and every business strives to capture people's hearts, entertainment power is arguably an essential skill for any business professional.

Why Entertainment Power Shines in Turbulent Times

●● has remained a staple of customer attraction events to this day...
This was Japan's first-ever ■■...
Phrases like these appear throughout this book.
And no wonder—the story is set in the dawn of Japan's entertainment industry.
It was an era when every market was just beginning to take shape—radio and television, of course, but also TV commercials (which still form the backbone of the advertising business today), professional baseball, and massive events like the World Expo.

"I envy that era,"
"You can't just say 'I envy that era'—things aren't that simple nowadays,"
You can almost hear such voices.
But I strongly believe that even now, we're still very much in the dawn of a new era.

The Japan Advertising Association's annual essay contest this year has the theme "Challenges in the Advertising Business." At Cannes Lions, where global creativity competes, judging centered on the keyword "Brave."
Even at this very moment, new challenges by advertising professionals are surely beginning all over the world.
It's been decades since the dawn of entertainment.
And surely, our present era is also in the midst of some new dawn.
This book is perfect for modern people facing an era of change.
That sentiment is why we've chosen this book, first published in 2007.

What prophecy did the entertainment giant leave behind?

Did Kotani foresee such an era?
The book concludes with this episode.
It's a bit long, but I'll quote it.

Yoshiro Okada, who worked under Kotani, once confronted him like this.
"I envy you, Kotani-san."
"Why?"
"Because right now, whether it's advertising or events or anything else, the forms are all set in stone, aren't they? Stuck. But someone like you, working during this transitional period, able to paint whatever you want on a blank canvas—that must be truly enjoyable. I can't help but envy you."

Kotani looked Okada straight in the eye and reportedly replied:
"Okada-kun. Every era is a transitional period, and the canvas is always blank." (P.229)

 

【Dentsu Inc. Modern Communication Lab】