Two actors from Konami’s Silent Hill f have been made the tourism ambassadors for the real-world town in Japan that inspired Ebisugaoka, the fictional Japanese village that the game is set in, a heartwarming way to bridge the gap between video games and real life.
Takeshi Masago and Tamami Hiraoka, the actors who played the father and mother of Silent Hill f protagonist Hinako (portrayed by Konatsu Kato), respectively, posted a YouTube short titled “Important Announcement” on 2 February. In it, the duo began with a serious, almost solemn speech, as though they were giving an apology, before revealing their tourism ambassador certificates in a lighthearted twist.
The pair were appointed ambassadors for Gero City in Japan’s Gifu Prefecture, whose narrow alleyways and old-school buildings, specifically in the Kanayama-cho area, were the main inspiration behind Ebisugaoka in Silent Hill f.
While the characters they played in the game were viewed as villains of sorts, with Hinako’s father, Kanta Shimizu, being abusive and her mother not doing anything to stop his violence against his daughter, the actors have made a presence on YouTube after posting content of themselves going on “husband and wife dates” via Masago’s channel 真砂豪 (@masa4add). Although the pair is not married in real life, the wholesome content had some fans wishing they were, with the clips constantly amassing thousands of views.
In addition, Masago had also previously promoted Gero City by visiting the 300-year-old Okuhida Shuzo rice wine brewery, which released Silent Hill f-themed sake and chocolates to celebrate the game.
The pair being appointed ambassadors also follow similar measures taken by Japan’s tourism boards to attract visitors to lesser-known areas, such as the Tsushima Tourist Board’s partnership with Sucker Punch and their 2020 adventure game, Ghost of Tsushima, to which they made lead developers Nate Fox and Jason Connell tourism ambassadors of the island.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
