Shiomibashi's Additional Show Tickets Go on Sale — Inquiries Pour In Over 'Harisen's' First Named Credit

Tickets for comedy duo Shiomibashi's additional show — straight man Daisuke Namekawa, 31, and his partner, boxy cleaning-type companion robot "Harisen" — went on sale at 10 a.m. on the 29th. As previously reported on the 24th, the additional show is set for mid-November, the same date as the duo's first solo live marking their fifth anniversary, and will be held at the same small theater beside their usual street stage. The advance allotment of 150 seats sold out roughly 40 minutes after sales opened, echoing the instant sellout of the original show previously reported on the 20th. The promoter commented, "Honestly, we didn't expect it to move quite this fast."

■ Response to Harisen's First Named Credit

The flyer distributed ahead of ticket sales marks the first time Harisen's name has appeared officially alongside Namekawa's, as previously reported on the 24th. According to the promoter, several inquiries after sales opened came from new fans who said "I only learned from the flyer credit that Harisen was the partner." Namekawa laughed when asked about it: "Having our names side by side is something I'd wanted for a long time, but I didn't expect the response to come back this fast, in the form of ticket sales. Harisen's better at stealing the moment than I am, I think."

■ Still Committed to the Street Stage

Shiomibashi has performed mainly on a shopping-arcade street stage since forming, and the additional show will be held at the same small theater as the original solo live rather than a larger venue; a move to bigger halls is not under consideration. "Harisen is built to move within the width of the street stage," Namekawa said. "A bigger box would actually make my partner harder to work with." The promoter said it "prioritized a venue that could keep the feel of the street stage over sheer size."

■ Harisen's "Reactions" Remain Unchanged

Harisen keeps the non-humanoid, vacuum-cleaner-like appearance common to companion robots, and its comic timing is understood to come from movement patterns and timing controls Namekawa set up in advance. The promoter explained, "The credit doesn't change the staging or the movements themselves. We'd like people to watch the same Harisen as always." Namekawa said, "Getting a name credit doesn't mean Harisen suddenly thanks me for it. That's part of what makes my partner feel like a partner, too."

■ Industry Guidelines and the Paper's Own "Ni-go" Also in the Background

Against the backdrop of the industry guideline extending companion robots' standard service life and adding a "resident's own wishes" consultation field (previously reported on the 23rd), and this paper's own report on applying it early to its cleaning robot "Ni-go" (previously reported on the 24th), shopping-district figures see Harisen's official credit as not unrelated to that trend. Namekawa himself kept some distance from the policy debate: "We just wanted to properly credit the partner we've been working alongside for years, that's all."

■ Fans: "We Were Waiting for the Names to Line Up"

One regular, 34, who had been lined up outside the venue before sales opened, said, "Ever since the first show, it bothered me that Harisen's name wasn't on the program. Seeing this flyer, I realized I really had been wanting those two names side by side." Another fan smiled: "The way Harisen takes a straight line is completely in sync with Namekawa's timing. I always thought the names belonged together."

■ What Comes Next

The additional show is set for mid-November, with the remaining general-sale tickets expected to go on sale November 1st. The promoter said it is "considering moving up the general sale's start time, given the response to the advance allotment."