Mainland

The Mainland (Japanese: 本土) is a setting taking place in the world of Slow Damage.

It is only referenced in conversations in between characters, and shown very briefly in rare moments and CG. One cannot actively visit this setting in the game itself.

This term is either used to refer to Tokyo itself, or the entirety of Japan.

History
The quadrennial sports festival of the century; which the country did everything in its power to attract, has failed in record time. This created a huge debt for Japan, which threw it into the middle of a Depression.

Poverty amongst the population has been spreading since the late 2010s, and has become unstoppable. During the 2020s, the gap between the rich and the poor continued to widen. Poverty amongst young people is particularly pronounced, with the non-regular employment rate exceeding 60% for both men and women.

Suicides have skyrocketed due to the reality that even when employed, they are only going to be earning low wages. At the same time, there was an increase in the number of young people living on the streets, and a marked rise in crime rates (Rarely seen in 2010s).

Japan was visibly on the decline, and there created a historic recession.

"Casino Bill"
The government proposed a "casino bill". It had run into difficulties due to opposition and speculation from various quarters.

During the construction phase of Shinkomi, the contractor Takasato Group was suspected of collusion. However, the bill was wrought with enormous effort. It converged on a very realistic idea of having a limited number of small public casinos in a few special areas. After many twists and turns, all that remained was a steel-framed monument standing in a clearing. The only people who lived there were prostitutes and vagrants.

However, there came a turning point - Ryuujirou Takasato and the Takasato Group.

Faced with a cold economy and a desperate government debt, the government had no choice. Soon afterwards, it made a painful decision of authorizing the Takasato Group to develop and operate Shinkomi. No one voted against the amendment of the casino bill, which stipulated that only public companies can operate casinos. The approval of the private operation was granted immediately. Eventually, when the tacit understanding failed, the government designated the entire Shinkomi as a "special administrative district" in order to save face outwardly.

It was said that the success of Shinkomi also moved the country's stagnant economy.