Latest news with #Tsujimoto
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Japan Today
Subcontractors protest unpaid work on 8 overseas Osaka expo pavilions
Subcontractors involved in the construction of eight overseas pavilions at the World Exposition in Osaka are claiming they have not been paid for their work, with organizers and the prefectural government offering little help in what they have deemed is a private matter. Some subcontractors are preparing to sue GL Events Japan, the prime contractor for four of the overseas pavilions involved in nonpayment disputes. Around 20 subcontractors gathered in protest in front of the French company's Japan branch in Osaka city on July 10, demanding to be paid. Takayoshi Tsujimoto, the 54-year-old president of Osaka-based construction company Rego said he was initially surprised that a small company like his was approached to work on overseas pavilions. But a desire to see the expo succeed, and trust in GL Events given its track record in international events, prompted him to take on jobs for the Serbian and German pavilions. Problems, however, began to mount as soon as work began last fall. Steel frames that arrived from overseas differed from the blueprints, while workers were instructed almost daily to perform tasks not in the original contract, causing labor costs and heavy machinery rental fees to balloon. After more than two months of fruitless negotiations, Tsujimoto plans to file a lawsuit seeking approximately 340 million yen in unpaid construction fees from GL Events. Another company in western Japan that worked on the Malta pavilion filed a suit in June seeking more than 110 million yen. GL Events said that it complies with "contractual obligations with each company and Japanese laws." Meanwhile, Jun Takashina, a deputy secretary general of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, has said that "it is a matter between the parties involved." Several subcontractors formed a victims' group at the end of May, requesting reimbursement from the prefectural government, but were told that taxpayer money cannot be used to resolve private disputes. "We worked in harsh conditions at the strong urging of the expo organizers and the prefectural government. It's infuriating that they dismiss it as a private matter despite it being a national project," the group's representative said. The expo is being held between April 13 and Oct 13. © KYODO
The Mainichi
3 days ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
Subcontractors protest unpaid work on 8 overseas Osaka expo pavilions
OSAKA (Kyodo) -- Subcontractors involved in the construction of eight overseas pavilions at the World Exposition in Osaka are claiming they have not been paid for their work, with organizers and the prefectural government offering little help in what they have deemed is a private matter. Some subcontractors are preparing to sue GL Events Japan, the prime contractor for four of the overseas pavilions involved in nonpayment disputes. Around 20 subcontractors gathered in protest in front of the French company's Japan branch in Osaka city on July 10, demanding to be paid. Takayoshi Tsujimoto, the 54-year-old president of Osaka-based construction company Rego said he was initially surprised that a small company like his was approached to work on overseas pavilions. But a desire to see the expo succeed, and trust in GL Events given its track record in international events, prompted him to take on jobs for the Serbian and German pavilions. Problems, however, began to mount as soon as work began last fall. Steel frames that arrived from overseas differed from the blueprints, while workers were instructed almost daily to perform tasks not in the original contract, causing labor costs and heavy machinery rental fees to balloon. After more than two months of fruitless negotiations, Tsujimoto plans to file a lawsuit seeking approximately 340 million yen ($2.3 million) in unpaid construction fees from GL Events. Another company in western Japan that worked on the Malta pavilion filed a suit in June seeking more than 110 million yen. GL Events said that it complies with "contractual obligations with each company and Japanese laws." Meanwhile, Jun Takashina, a deputy secretary general of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, has said that "it is a matter between the parties involved." Several subcontractors formed a victims' group at the end of May, requesting reimbursement from the prefectural government, but were told that taxpayer money cannot be used to resolve private disputes. "We worked in harsh conditions at the strong urging of the expo organizers and the prefectural government. It's infuriating that they dismiss it as a private matter despite it being a national project," the group's representative said. The expo is being held between April 13 and Oct. 13.
Kyodo News
3 days ago
- Business
- Kyodo News
Subcontractors protest unpaid work on 8 overseas Osaka expo pavilions
OSAKA - Subcontractors involved in the construction of eight overseas pavilions at the World Exposition in Osaka are claiming they have not been paid for their work, with organizers and the prefectural government offering little help in what they have deemed is a private matter. Some subcontractors are preparing to sue GL Events Japan, the prime contractor for four of the overseas pavilions involved in nonpayment disputes. Around 20 subcontractors gathered in protest in front of the French company's Japan branch in Osaka city on July 10, demanding to be paid. Takayoshi Tsujimoto, the 54-year-old president of Osaka-based construction company Rego said he was initially surprised that a small company like his was approached to work on overseas pavilions. But a desire to see the expo succeed, and trust in GL Events given its track record in international events, prompted him to take on jobs for the Serbian and German pavilions. Problems, however, began to mount as soon as work began last fall. Steel frames that arrived from overseas differed from the blueprints, while workers were instructed almost daily to perform tasks not in the original contract, causing labor costs and heavy machinery rental fees to balloon. After more than two months of fruitless negotiations, Tsujimoto plans to file a lawsuit seeking approximately 340 million yen ($2.3 million) in unpaid construction fees from GL Events. Another company in western Japan that worked on the Malta pavilion filed a suit in June seeking more than 110 million yen. GL Events said that it complies with "contractual obligations with each company and Japanese laws." Meanwhile, Jun Takashina, a deputy secretary general of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, has said that "it is a matter between the parties involved." Several subcontractors formed a victims' group at the end of May, requesting reimbursement from the prefectural government, but were told that taxpayer money cannot be used to resolve private disputes. "We worked in harsh conditions at the strong urging of the expo organizers and the prefectural government. It's infuriating that they dismiss it as a private matter despite it being a national project," the group's representative said. The expo is being held between April 13 and Oct. 13.
Yomiuri Shimbun
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Capcom Continues to Attract Video Game Fans at Home, Abroad
©CAPCOM Ryu from the 'Street Fighter' series Capcom Co., a game developer based in Osaka, has enjoyed success with its popular video game franchises, such as 'Monster Hunter' and 'Street Fighter.' With a history of more than 40 years, the firm continues to release a succession of game titles that are popular both at home and overseas. The Yomiuri Shimbun interviewed President Haruhiro Tsujimoto to find out more about Capcom's appeal and strengths. In fiscal year 2023, the firm sold about 45.89 million game software units. Of those, overseas sales accounted for 83%. ©CAPCOM A Palico from the 'Mpnster Hunter' series Tsujimoto said Capcom already envisioned expanding the firm's business overseas at its official founding in 1983, expecting the number of players in Japan would eventually reach a peak. That's why the company aspired to make games that would sell worldwide. The firm's major success during its early years is undoubtedly 'Street Fighter II' in 1991. The game turned out to be a global megahit due mainly to the following factors: It inherited the competitive system pioneered by its predecessor, increased the number of playable characters and diversified the nationalities of the characters and highlighted their individual personalities. The firm's other global strategy was the use of English as the language the characters spoke in the 1996 release 'Biohazard,' also known as 'Resident Evil.' The limited memory of the game software made it impossible to add multiple languages. The firm initially considered using Japanese for the voice acting but eventually decided against it. ©CAPCOM Leon S. Kennedy from the 'Resident Evil' series 'We thought it would be more acceptable overseas if we used English [which is the most spoken language in the world],' Tsujimoto said. Other languages, including Japanese, were used in the subtitles. Investing in movies, goods With the strategy of 'Single Content Multiple Usage,' the company is aggressively advancing into a variety fields, such as movies and merchandise, with its games and featured characters. A good example is live-action adaptations of games. Capcom invested in the production of the 1994 film 'Street Fighter,' which became the company's first Hollywood movie, and made every effort to communicate closely with the production team. In the case of 2002's 'Resident Evil,' starring Milla Jovovich, director Paul W.S. Anderson was a big fan of the game and familiar with its setting. Tsujimoto believes this was a major factor in its success. The live-action film turned out to be a hit, and seven films in the series, including a reboot, have been produced to date. ''Resident Evil' changed the public's perception of live-action adaptations of games,' Tsujimoto said. 'The key is how you recreate the game's setting.' ©CAPCOM Ryuichi Naruhodo (Phoenix Wright) from the 'Ace Attorney' series 'Ace Attorney' and 'Sengoku Basara,' which features warlords from the Sengoku warring states period (late 15th century to 16th century), have been turned into musicals by the Takarazuka Revue Company, and some of the characters have been used for campaigns to raise awareness of elections and prevent juvenile delinquency. Various other games, such as 'Monster Hunter' and 'Street Fighter,' have also played a role in promoting regional economies and tourism. 'Don't set limits' While many game companies are outsourcing parts of their production, Capcom insists on in-house development so the firm can release high-quality games at the right time. This also allows the company to accumulate expertise. Capcom also has a passion for creating the world's top-level games. Development costs continue to rise each year due to rapidly advancing technology, but Tsujimoto does not hesitate. 'I don't want to set a limit on the games,' he said. 'For the future of Japan, it will be absolutely necessary to nurture digital human resources,' Tsujimoto said. 'Capcom attracts game developers who aspire to be No. 1 in the world. Even if they eventually leave Capcom, I want them to use their strengths to their full potential.' The president is not just aiming for 'victory' for his company, but also for the development of the entire industry. Monster Hunter-themed experience at 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo Capcom has created an immersive game experience called 'Monster Hunter Bridge' in the Osaka Healthcare Pavilion at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. Wearing goggle-like augmented reality devices, visitors will enter a cylindrical theater that measures about 12 meters wide and 5 meters high and enter the world of 'Monster Hunter.' The theater is equipped with high-tech features, such as 360-degree images, immersive surround sound and floor vibration. The Yomiuri Shimbun 'Monster Hunter Bridge,' an immersive experience based on the 'Monster Hunter' game series, is shown at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. Visitors can touch Vigorwasp on the prairie or throw rocks at the giant flying wyvern Rathalos that comes to attack them. The floor will shake as the monsters appear, creating a realistic experience that lasts about 11 minutes. Advanced booking is required. Capcom-themed exhibit Fans can visit 'Capcom Creation: Moving Hearts across the Globe' at Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka through June 22 to explore the origins and history of Capcom's production. The exhibition showcases a behind-the-scenes look at game development and the evolution of technology through the company's major game franchises. ©CAPCOM Mega Man from the 'Mega Man' series Visitors are greeted by many characters on a giant screen upon entering. They can examine a timeline of Capcom's history as well as a chart that briefly explains successive and spin-off game titles. This is followed by a lineup of game cases and original artwork for posters. Written proposals for 'Street Fighter II' and other titles are on display near the end of the exhibition. The hand-written documents allow visitors to feel a sense of history. Visitors can also enjoy a corner that enables them to try various hands-on experiences, such as drawing Mega Man by coloring in square dots, comparing the old and new versions of the killer technique Hadoken from the 'Street Fighter' series, and using simulated motion capture that has a game character on screen reflect the user's movements. The exhibition also introduces how 3D computer graphics are created by making full use of projection mapping. 'Hearing stories of hardships and tales of bravery in game development from senior creators was very refreshing to me, since I came from a different industry,' said Yasuyuki Makino, a producer at Capcom. 'I wanted to introduce them to as many people as possible,' he added. 'Visitors will be able to get a glimpse of the greatness of game development, which is completely focused on pleasing the fans.' The exhibition will also tour Nagoya, Tottori, Tokyo and Niigata.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Monster Hunter' on prowl for new audiences as latest game drops
With "Monster Hunter Wilds" pitting intrepid players against a menagerie of rampaging beasts on PC and consoles from Friday, the game's creators tell AFP they hope the 20-year-old franchise can still find new audiences. It has been seven years since the last major instalment saw fans draw oversized swords and bows together, in a series whose success is built on cooperative play to take down dragons and other spectacularly-rendered creatures. Co-op is "really the heart of the series and at the core of its DNA," said the game's director Yuya Tokuda. Long queues to test the new instalment at conventions and mass participation in an online open test weekend in October have underscored the anticipation in recent months. "Rather than feeling pressure... it's actually more of a useful chance for us to see the players' reactions and also get data about what it is we should be working on," Ryozo Tsujimoto, the series' 50-something longtime producer said during a trip to Europe weeks ahead of the release. "Wilds" is the first "Monster Hunter" instalment built for latest-generation consoles. Tsujimoto says this will allow for "even more seamless" play, highlighting that there will be no loading screens between players' base camp and the monster-haunted open world beyond. Such changes "make you feel like you really are part of the ecosystem from start to finish every time you play the game," he said. But even on more powerful machines, it was "really quite difficult" to populate the environment with the huge numbers of monsters and other creatures that the developers wanted, Tsujimoto added. There were "lots of programming challenges and also hardware challenges," he said. - Stoking the hype - The "Monster Hunter" series has shipped more than 108 million units since the first release on Playstation 2, making it a second tentpole franchise for Japanese publisher Capcom alongside the "Resident Evil" zombie saga. It took time and several instalments for "Monster Hunter" to win popularity outside Japan itself. Back then, "we didn't really have a development schedule... set up for simultaneous localised release around the world," Tsujimoto remembers. That meant delays of up to a year for different language versions to be adapted, undermining the hype around new releases beyond the home market. "All the news about what was going to be in the game, which monsters and features, had already come out globally, players felt like they'd seen it all from looking online," Tsujimoto said. These days releases are synchronised around the world to strike while the anticipation is at its peak. - Broadening reach - "Monster Hunter" has also benefited from vastly more players able to join in online with high-quality connections. "Breaking down each of those barriers... is what finally brought us out of niche status in the West and into a global blockbuster," Tsujimoto said. Nevertheless, "there are still people out there who don't know about 'Monster Hunter'," he added. It was up to the studio to "try and find new ways to make sure that the 'Monster Hunter' name spreads among as large an audience around the world as possible". A first film set in the universe of the games, released in 2020, was a relative flop. That hasn't put off Tsujimoto, who says "image licensing" is "something we're aways considering as being on the table". Although naming no plans for the immediate future, the producer is "always thinking of ways to expand the series around the world", including to "people who don't play games", he said. Tsujimoto and Tokuda did not comment on whether "Wilds" would be available for Nintendo's hotly-anticipated Switch 2 console, set for release later this year. But looking to the future, "we do still have plenty of monster ideas up our sleeves," Tokuda said. kf/tgb/rl
