On Sunday, January 28th, an e-sports facility will be opened at the east exit of JR Ikebukuro Station.Café and Bar RAGE ST' has opened. Prior to the opening, an opening ceremony was held with representatives from the JR East Group companies that operate this facility and esports-related companies, and we will bring you the details.
From casual eating and drinking to purchasing e-sports goods
Café and Bar RAGE ST is a joint venture between JR East Cross Station Foods Company, JR East Kikaku, and JR East Sports called the JR East Group e-sports cafe limited liability partnership, which includes CyberZ, Avex Entertainment, and TV. This was made possible by the addition of RAGE, an e-sports entertainment company operated by Asahi, as a content partner.
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The “ST” in the store name comes from STATION, STREET, and START, indicating that a new movement will start from here.
This facility, which opened at the east exit of JR Ikebukuro Station (for Ikebukuro Station users, just up the stairs with the Ikebukuro), has a cafe and bar and goods area on the first floor, and a high-spec PC for playing on the second floor. It has a two-floor structure with a play area where you can play (for a fee).
The cafe and bar will serve food such as hamburgers and curry, as well as a variety of drinks including coffee and alcohol, just like a specialty store, and is also expected to offer public viewing using seven large screens.
In the goods area, you can purchase apparel and goods from FUTAROKU, a select shop for domestic and international e-sports teams and overseas e-sports teams. Collaboration apparel between the e-sports team “Paper Rex” and RAGE that can only be purchased here is also on sale.
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There is a play area on the second floor, where you can play games on GALLERIA's high-spec PCs and ZOWIE's 360Hz monitor “XL2566K” (17 seats in total + 1 seat in the distribution booth).
The future of “esports” will be discussed at the opening ceremony.
At the opening ceremony, representatives from related companies took to the stage and talked about the store's goals and prospects. Mitsuhiro Fukaya, Managing Director and Head of the Foods Company of JR East Cross Station, a company that operates around stations, explained the background behind the opening of this facility, saying, “Needs have changed after the coronavirus pandemic, and in order to further change, we need to We need to develop new customers by creating a store where people can say, 'I'm going to the station from here.'” He says that this store, which allows people to enjoy e-sports, which is popular among Generation Z, is one such example.
In addition, content partner RAGE General Manager Akiyoshi Osaki said that RAGE has been supporting the e-sports viewing culture by creating viewing venues on the Metaverse and holding offline events as soon as possible after the end of the coronavirus pandemic. He said that he hopes Café and Bar RAGE ST will become a place where people who have previously felt that it may be too difficult to visit will feel free to stop by and get exposed to e-sports.
Afterwards, Mr. Osaki, Mr. Daichi Tokunaga, Japan Marketing and Communications Manager of Electronic Arts (EA), Mr. Naoki Kawakami, Deputy General Manager of Cygames Marketing Headquarters and Head of the e-Sports Department, Mr. OooDa, an e-sports caster, and Mr. Kosuke Hiraiwa, an MC, joined the discussion. , a panel discussion on esports was held.
First of all, regarding the recent e-sports market, Mr. Osaki (RAGE) said, “Big changes have occurred due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the culture of online viewing and streamers/VTubers has taken root, and with the end of the pandemic, the enthusiasm is exploding.'' Analyzing that the energy of the coronavirus pandemic has become a bridge to going offline. Mr. Kawakami (Cygames) also pointed out, “The perception of esports has changed from “participating'' to “supporting'' and “supporting.''
Regarding the rise of e-sports in Japan, Mr. Tokunaga (EA) said, “There is a lot of enthusiasm from the casual segment, and the scale and number of offline events are increasing,'' and OooDa, who often serves as a caster at offline events, said. “It's like a dream to see tens of thousands of enthusiastic spectators at Saitama Super Arena, Yokohama Arena, K Arena Yokohama, Ryogoku Kokugikan, and other venues,'' he said with deep emotion.
Regarding the future of e-sports, Mr. Osaki said, “The number of fans is expected to reach 10 million. This is made up of young people, so I don't think it will slow down anytime soon.'' Ta. . He went on to emphasize that the esports market has potential for new business and customer development. We wanted to convey the appeal of not only enjoying the game, but also enjoying watching it.
OooDa also cited South Korea, which is a developing country for e-sports, as an example, and said that with the spread of PC vans (similar to internet cafes that are common in South Korea), more players will be able to integrate gaming into their daily lives. I thought it would be good if it became something.
Becoming like a hub where various users gather
From here, we will deliver individual interviews with Mr. Masahiro Anabuki, President and Representative Director of JR East Sports, and Mr. Naoki Ishikawa, Content Business Division 3, Content Business Bureau, JR East Planning Media and Content Headquarters.
–thank you. First of all, what kind of demographic is Café and Bar RAGE ST aimed at?
AnabukiMr. Masahiro (hereinafter referred to as Anabuki)Of course, our main target is people who come for e-sports, but since it's located near a station, we'd like people who don't like that to feel free to use it as well. It would be great if this would lead to momentum for e-sports. The menu is also general and solid.
Mr. Naoki Ishikawa (hereinafter referred to as Ishikawa)We would like casual people who don't actually play e-sports but would like to watch them to stop by. While targeting Generation Z as our core target, we would like to take advantage of our location near Ikebukuro Station to expand our target audience.
–Are there any expectations unique to Ikebukuro Station?
AnabukiIkebukuro Station boasts the highest number of passengers in the Tokyo metropolitan area, and I think the power of the station cannot be underestimated. The external economic benefits of railways and stations should always be considered in terms of location.
IshikawaIkebukuro is home to many anime fans and young people, and the city has a thriving subculture. It is a suitable place to take the first step in promoting the new culture of esports.
–Jexer esports station was operated at Matsudo Station for about three years from 2021 to 2023. How was the response?
AnabukiTo be honest, the situation continued to be difficult, partly because it started with the coronavirus pandemic. On the other hand, we believe that we were able to contribute to regional development, which is one of the JR Group's missions, by offering computer classes for children and e-sports events for seniors. If this facility is successful and there are other good candidates, we would like to expand.
–What kind of place do you want Café and Bar RAGE ST to be?
AnabukiWe would like RAGE to hold a variety of immersive events, not just the existing ones. We haven't decided anything specific yet, but we'll be able to send footage to Gexar (a sports gym run by JR East Sports) in Taipei, so we'd like to do a lot of things like share it with the world. hey.
IshikawaIn addition to that, I would like it to become a hub where all kinds of people can gather, such as cafes, purchasing goods, and playing games. We hope that new communities and communication will be born here.
