Yeoh Siew Hoon caught “Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire” in action at the Singapore premiere and goes behind the scenes to find out why this first-to-be-set-outside-Japan-in-24-years manga and anime movie matters so much to Singapore tourism and the future of Japanese outbound.
It was quite interesting seeing familiar images of Singapore rendered in a manga and anime setting – the water-spewing Merlion in all her glory although at one moment, she’s spewing more than water; the unmistakable sight of Marina Bay with its three towers – I guarantee you’ve not seen it in the light the producers of “Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire” imagined it; and at one moment, even my neighbourhood appeared when the action moved to the Kallang Wave National Stadium.
Other than the bespectacled genius boy detective character, created by Gosho Ao-yama, in 1994, Singapore is definitely the star in this 23rd feature film of the series, which had its premiere in Japan and Singapore in early June.
In fact, it’s the first time the beloved manga and anime character has ever been outside Japan and I couldn’t help but draw a parallel between that and travel.
I hope the fact that Detective Conan and his young friends chose to visit Singapore to solve their latest crime revolving around sunken treasure found off its coast is indicative of a broader trend – that it will encourage more Japanese youths to travel and, of course, visit Singapore – which is what the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) naturally hopes.
At the premiere in Singapore, the producers of the movie related how creator Ao-yama had visited the city in 2016 to take part in the Singapore Writers Festival and was so inspired that he vowed to have his next movie set in the city.
(Image credit: Singapore Tourism Board)
That decision clearly thrilled the STB. Markus Tan, STB’s regional director, North Asia, said, “The Singapore Tourism Board is always on the lookout for opportunities to show how Singapore is an exciting destination where Passion and Possibilities meet. The Detective Conan (DC) series is one such opportunity.
Since the creation of the Conan character in 1994, this is the first time it is setting its movie outside of Japan and this is expected to generate even stronger interest among both Conan and anime fans around the world. – Markus Tan, Singapore Tourism Board
“It is one of the longest-running and highest selling manga and anime series in Japan. The series spans multiple mediums and channels including serialised print, cinematic movies, television broadcasts, video games, and theme park attraction. The annual DC movie is consistently one of the most anticipated releases at box offices across Japan, as shown by how the 2018 DC movie was the top selling movie in Japan across all segments (beating out even Star Wars) with US$83m in box office earnings. The movie had also seen good sales numbers in markets like Taiwan, Korea, China, South-east Asia and Europe.
“Since the creation of the Conan character in 1994, this is the first time it is setting its movie outside of Japan and this is expected to generate even stronger interest among both Conan and anime fans around the world.
“We hope this film will inspire more visitors to discover Singapore and ignite their passions for culture, food, entertainment and nightlife.”
According to Tan, the DC team visited Singapore at least twice, and spent around a week on each visit. The animation was done entirely in Japan. No funding was provided but the board provided input to the movie production team, which included background on Singapore’s culture and society, as well as information on its latest tourism attractions.
From Conan-themed bus tours in Singapore to cafes in Bangkok
The STB also ramped up its marketing and product. It partnered HIS, one of Japan’s largest wholesalers, to create an exclusive DC package. Highlights include operation of HIS Lai Lai shuttle bus in SG wrapped with DC creatives for their visitors, with in-bus guiding recorded by Conan’s actual voice actress, and passport application fee cashback for children to drive the Family segments.
(Image credit: Singapore Tourism Board)
“We also hope the film will help to raise awareness of Singapore not just in Japan, but also in other markets that Detective Conan is popular in, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines.”
As such, other STB’s regional offices are riding on the film’s release to boost awareness and drive actual visits. “For example, in Bangkok Thailand, there will be a Detective Conan themed café that will serve themed sweets and drinks. Scenes from the movie and Singapore will be featured at the café, providing fans and visitors lots of photo opportunities,” said Tan.
STB has also brought industry stakeholders into the DC campaign to drive conversion and interest. They include the following:
• Singapore Airlines Japan: A Conan-themed campaign has been launched Japan-wide. Key initiatives include freebies at all check-in counter in Japan, DC-themed ice-cream with QR code on its wrapper to drive visitorship to key attractions featured in the movie, screening of past DC movies on KrisWorld.
• Thye Shan Medical Hall: STB and the Detective Conan team unveiled a Detective Conan-themed mural, made possible through collaboration with Thye Shan Medical Hall in Chinatown. The mural shows Conan interacting with a street food hawker, a throwback to Chinatown’s street food culture. It is located at the side of Thye Shan Medical Hall along the corner of Smith Street and South Bridge Road, and painted by local artist Yip Yew Chong.
The movie is fiction but the numbers are real – younger Japanese set to be driving force for outbound
As to whether the STB had concerns that the movie revolves around a rather scary terrorist attack on Marina Bay (spoiler alert), Tan said, “STB has carefully considered the overall direction of the movie, and taken into account the fact that it does not condone illegal activities or violence. Moreover, Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire is entirely a work of fiction and does not reflect the state of Singapore in general.
“STB was consulted by the film studio on depictions of Singapore in the movie. While we had provided input, the studio made the final decisions on the movie’s plot and storyline.
“Bombs, murders and explosions are classic characteristics of Detective Conan films, and this iteration is no exception. The conflict however, is resolved peacefully by the end of the movie, and reinforces family-friendly values. We also note that the film has been given a “G” rating in Japan, and is suitable for general viewing.”
Tan said the number of Japanese outbound travelers has been increasing steadily over the past few years (2016: +5.6%; 2017: +4.5%; 2018: +6.0%).
“It has also been observed that more young Japanese (aged between 20 and 29s) are travelling abroad, while baby boomers move away from overseas travel as they enter their 70s. The younger generation is expected to be a key driving force in the growth of outbound travel for Japan.”
Linked to that, Japanese consumers also have one of the highest rates of mobile digital purchases in the world, while younger travelers are increasingly going digital to compare providers and products, as well as to make purchases. This impacts how NTOs and travel companies reach out to these consumers to increase awareness, and create interest in travel destinations. – Markus Tan, Singapore Tourism Board
Tan also observed that Japan’s share of media contact time via mobile phone has grown from 7% to 29% over the last 10 years across various age groups, particularly amongst the younger generation.
“Linked to that, Japanese consumers also have one of the highest rates of mobile digital purchases in the world, while younger travelers are increasingly going digital to compare providers and products, as well as to make purchases. This impacts how NTOs and travel companies reach out to these consumers to increase awareness, and create interest in travel destinations.”
He said that STB’s priorities will be to ensure that Singapore continues to maintain mindshare amongst Japanese consumers amidst the growth in outbound travelers, through innovative marketing initiatives and collaboration with key tourism product providers.
In 2017, 793,000 Japanese visitors spent S$998 million in Singapore (excluding Sightseeing, Entertainment and Gaming), and in 2018, 830,000 Japanese visitors spent S$1,099 million in Singapore (excluding SEG). This represent an increase of five per cent and 10% respectively, compared to 2017.
For 2019, STB forecasts total international visitor arrivals to be in the range of 18.7 to 19.2 million (+1 to +4%) and tourism receipts to be in the range of S$27.3 to S$27.9 billion (+1 to +3%).
Note: Angel Law, Senior Manager, Japan, Singapore Tourism Board, will be speaking at WiT Japan & North Asia in Tokyo on July 4-5. Check out the programme here.
• Here’s the official trailer of “Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire”.
• Featured image is of the movie’s crew at the Singapore movie premiere
