Jackson’s Death Shocks Japan

The news of Michael Jackson’s (50) sudden death has been a shock to Japanese fans.

“Pure-hearted,” “shy,” and “pitiable,” were the words to describe him. The various people connected with Jackson through his work and leisure activities in Japan grieve as they look back on this rare superstar.

Mr. Jackson was well known to Japanese video game fans and even participated in designing a few games himself. Some twenty years ago, Jackson privately and frequently visited Sega (Tokyo area, Ota District), often playing video games with the then-company president, Hayao Nakayama, now president of Amuse Capital. “His eyes shone like a boy in his enthusiasm,” Mr. Nakayama said, looking back. “I was surprised. I never thought there could be an adult as pure-hearted as him.”

According to Sega, Mr. Jackson worked on a total of three games with them, the first game for a movie he starred in, “Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker” (released in August 1990). In this particular game, Jackson rescues children from an underground organization. Despite his (proclivity for OR affection towards ) children, Jackson was suspected of serially abusing young boys, following allegations made in 2003.

Often suffering in the court of public opinion, he led an ironic life.

In order to include a special break dance scene in the game, Michael himself demonstrated his famous dance moves for the creation team, an act that demonstrates the harmonious atmosphere during the game’s production.

Mr. Nakayama was even invited to Michael’s New York home. “I couldn’t think of him as a big star, just an open, good young man who was very quiet,” he said. “In those days, there were all sorts of rumors, but I couldn’t imagine him doing any of those things.”

Mr. Jackson, like any superstar, was known to have his extravagant episodes. When he came to Japan in 2007, Jackson went shopping at the Bic Camera store in the Yurakucho district of Tokyo during the late night hours, but fans flooded him wherever he went. There were unending shouts and cheers of “I love you!” In 2006, Michael Jackson visited a children’s orphanage at Tokyo’s Kita District. He enjoyed his time with the children, ignoring the fans and media, singing and taking pictures with the orphans.

In 2003, men’s wear manufacturer Wakita of Gifu City, having been approached by Jackson’s managers, began marketing “MJ Brand” suits. Junichi Ota (54), managing director of Wakita, was invited to Los Angeles and met with Mr. Jackson’s parents. “It was a family full of love. From what they said, I understood how Mr. Jackson was really a shy person,” Ota recollects.

When Jackson first came to Japan in 1987, his manager ordered a seal to be made at Tsuji Mido, a seal engraving store in Osaka City. Mr. Taichi Tsuji (68) produced a hand-carved, square seal using the characters for dance, kick, sparrow, and village as phonetic equivalents for Michael Jackson’s name. A pamphlet with Mr. Jackson’s autograph was later delivered separately from the payment as a show of gratitude from the performer himself.

Mr. Jackson’s physical condition deteriorated in recent years, causing him to suspend most of his musical activities. Director Eugene Aksenov (85) of the International Clinic (Tokyo Harbor Ward) visited him as many as three times during his stays in Tokyo. He reminisces: “When the children who came with him showed signs of fever, he nursed them constantly. He sent me thank you letters for my visits and also wanted me to send him Japanese medicine.”

“There were side effects to his various illnesses and treatments, so I pitied him. I pray that he returns to Heaven.”