Chapter 4 Birth of Setsuden-mushi (a profitmaking device) 4.2 Setsuden-mushi's Growth Expectations and Setbacks 4.2.7 NHK “Ohayo Nippon” 4.2.7.1 Mail contact from a reporter of NHK Science and Culture Department
I received a lot of responses to my messages on the Internet. The fact that the number of people who gave me positive feedback was far greater than those who gave me negative feedback restored my confidence in the direction of the development of Setsuden-mushi and gave me some hope for the sales of the product.
Some of the people who sent us their opinions were related to the NGO Global Village. And to my surprise, a reporter from NHK's Science and Culture Department, who had seen my correspondence with the Mail Link members on the link, sent me the following e-mail one day in June 1996.
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Dear Mr. Kamamoto
My name is H. and I am a reporter of NHK.
By chance, I heard that there is a device that eliminates (extremely reduces?) the consumption of electricity by electronic devices. And I found out that you have some information about it.
As a newsman, I am very interested in this information, as it will help me think about energy conservation in this age when electronic devices are in the spotlight.
I apologize for the abruptness of this offer, but I would like to talk to you over the phone.
Please find my contact information below, and I would be happy to hear from you. (You can call me on my cell phone.) I will call you back as soon as I can.
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When I spoke with the reporter on the phone, he agreed with my opinion and said he would like to cover the story in the "Ohayo Nippon" program. I was really happy about this. It was also an event that made me realize the power of the Internet. I wondered if this is the kind of situation where one's heart is communicated and one feels as if one is on top of the world.
The development of Setsuden-mushi, the free campaign, the test sales, the media coverage, the introduction of the product on the Internet, and the dissemination of opinions through e-mail links, all took place over a period of two years. There have been peaks and valleys even in these short two years, but our thoughts have always been united. I wanted to make my first original product, Setsuden-mushi, recognized and used.
After a telephone interview on June 6, a request for samples of Setsuden-mushi on June 7, and a second telephone interview on June 10, the date of the direct interview by NHK Tokyo was set for June 13, 1996.
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