I thought I'd talk a bit more for a change, so this is a corner where I'll list the things I thought about when putting this story together. By the way, text in 'single quotes' is the title of the work, and text in "double quotes" is a partial quote from the booklet.

A delinquent club and barriers. A line from 'Ghostly Field Club' that says "exposing the barrier" is "forbidden because it may disrupt the balance." When I first saw this line, my heart leaped with excitement. The fact that it is forbidden means that the people who are forbidding it are aware of it. Moreover, "exorcism and summoning spirits" are commonplace in relation to barriers. In other words, we can surmise that the era of Hifuu is a world where the government and local authorities acknowledge the existence of barriers and ghosts. So why are things related to barriers forbidden? What does it mean to disrupt the balance? This is the starting point of this story. What form will the gap between what is normal for them and what is forbidden in society take? In such a world, what is the uniqueness of Merry, who can "see the boundary of the barrier"? This is how my imagination ran wild, leading to the explanation at the beginning of the story.

The relocation of the capital during the Jinki Era, and Tokyo after the relocation. The "relocation of the capital during the Jinki Era" line appeared in 'Retrospective 53 Minutes'. "Jinki" is a Japanese era name from the 700s, but it is likely that Jinki was established again in a later era than Heisei, and the capital was relocated to Kyoto during that time. So, what was the reason for the relocation? This is the other central question of this story. After the relocation, Tokyo was described as having "cracks everywhere in the roads," and "parts of the ring road turning into grassland," as if the entire city had reverted to the Edo period. As Renko says, "the breaks in the barrier have been left untouched," it is easy to imagine that Tokyo has become a half-abandoned land. In the end, the question of the reason for the relocation of the capital turned into a question of the reason for Tokyo's ruin. A change that is unimaginable from the current state of Tokyo. There must be a great mystery there. In this way, the setting was steadily solidified.

Regarding the Hiroshige. I believe it's safe to assume that it's the Chuo Shinkansen, a super-electromagnetic linear motor train that runs between Tokyo and Osaka. The Hiroshige takes 53 minutes, while the Chuo Shinkansen, including intermediate stops, takes a little over an hour to travel between Tokyo and Osaka. Currently, a route through Nagano Prefecture has been confirmed, and plans are progressing, but back in 2006, when 'Retrospective 53 Minutes' was released, route selection was proving so difficult that a route bypassing Nagano Prefecture was being considered. If it was a bypass route, it would likely match the route that passes south of Mount Fuji, as suggested by Merry, who was sitting facing the opposite direction of travel and saw Mount Fuji on her right. If the plan had proceeded as it was in 2006, the realization of "West-to-East Hiroshige" might not have been a dream. However, in 'Retrospective 53 Minutes', it is written that the West-to-East "Hiroshige" was developed at a rapid pace to cope with the increase in traffic volume after the capital was moved. If that is the case, then the plan for a high-speed public transportation system connecting Kanto and Kansai, to replace the Tokaido Shinkansen, must have been abandoned at some point before the capital was moved. For that reason, in order to realize the Hiroshige in the world of Hifuu, the Chuo Shinkansen must not have been completed and the plan must have been frozen, then the plan must have suddenly resurfaced after the capital was moved, and in addition, the route must have been changed and completed to pass south of Mt. Fuji. Thinking this far, I racked my brain to make all these pieces of information fit together as I wrote the main text.

The setting of the time and Tokyo tourist spots. The specific years in which the Hifuu Club is active are unknown, and it is all up to the creator's setting. So, this time, based on the above considerations, I worked backward to secure the timing of the capital's relocation. After all, it is just a hypothesis made for the sake of the story, so I struggled with the setting of the time until the very end. Therefore, when it comes to Tokyo, the setting of the story, I chose locations that will remain tourist attractions even after several hundred years. I also had the slight intention that a place with a sense of history would be more convincing. Of the three locations, the one I agonized over until the very end was Tokyo Tower. I also considered Tokyo Skytree, but I went with Tokyo Tower because of its easily recognizable silhouette and its position relative to the Imperial Palace. By the way, the Tokyo Tower parfait is an actual menu item. I, a single man, managed to finish it all with sheer willpower. (lol)

My imagination ran wild with all sorts of ideas, and Hifuu is really fun. I still have so much more to say, but I've already run out of space, so I'll stop here. See you later.