Main theme: e-sports in Japan

On this episode, we'll be featuring "e-sports" which has been gaining attention around the world. "e-sports" is short for "electric sports." Its popularity is growing so fast that the number of e-sports athletes worldwide (130 million people as of 2018) is expected to surpass that of soccer (300 million people) by 2020. There have also been many world championships which has given rise to many "pro gamers." With many of the championships offering high prize money, there are even some e-sports athletes with an annual income exceeding 100 million yen. It has been reported that e-sports was adopted as an official sport at the 2022 Asian Games, and is also being considered for the Paris Olympics in 2024 as well. At September's Tokyo Game Show, Japan's biggest game festival, the e-sports booths were bustling with many fans. "Fuudo," who stands out among the athletes, is a 32-year-old male who has been a professional gamer for 5 years. Excelling in instantaneous power and game tactics, he is a world-renowned player who has won many titles worldwide, and is even involved in machine development. On the program, we'll be inviting "Fuudo" over as a guest to talk about his passion towards e-sports and for a demo of his professional gaming techniques. We'll also be exploring the future potential of e-sports through our coverage of an e-sports special school.