Genki Sudo on WORLD ORDER’s Comeback and Mime Setback

As a politician, what I’m currently feeling a strong sense of crisis about is the weakness of Japan’s entertainment industry. Our neighbor South Korea has music and dramas that have burst onto the global market, haven’t they? Japan also has plenty of amazing content. That’s exactly why the government launched the Cool Japan strategy, but honestly, it hasn’t gone well.

I myself have been involved in martial arts and entertainment for a long time. So, as someone directly involved, I think I understand the challenges better than most people. The dance performance unit WORLD ORDER, for which I served as leader and producer, actually received better reputation overseas, and we were getting offers to appear at festivals from abroad. Its popularity actually ignited from overseas.

Bring the karaoke set!

When I switched to being a politician in 2019, I left WORLD ORDER, and within a few years, the unit itself went on hiatus. But as a politician, I’ve always thought that WORLD ORDER could be truly used for performance diplomacy. When I show WORLD ORDER’s performances on YouTube before meetings, it really helps close the distance between people.

When I first entered politics, I didn’t know right from left and couldn’t really see what was going on around me. What saved me, despite having no achievements as a politician, was my self-introduction.

For example, when I go abroad, introducing myself with “I’m a UFC fighter!” always livens up the atmosphere. When I show videos of my fights on YouTube and say, “That’s me,” people respond with “Wow!” The fight against Butterbean is especially popular—he’s plump and humorous, and very popular in the US (laughs).

Of course, from their perspective, I’m just some unknown guy. But I can’t let the intangible asset of being a former fighter go to waste. Antonio Inoki, a great senior in the fighting world, did pro wrestling diplomacy. It had mixed reviews, but I respect that he built an independent diplomatic route with North Korea.

However, at my age, I obviously can’t keep fighting anymore. So I restarted WORLD ORDER. I thought showing the performance would help build human relationships.

There are parts of human nature that don’t move by logic. As a politician, I deeply felt that. Surprisingly, not many politicians take this approach. I had always felt that WORLD ORDER could be a weapon as a politician.

When I visited the Shaolin Temple in China as a politician, the temple’s headmaster and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeared. When a member of the Diet arrives, they tend to be on guard. But the moment I told them, “I’m a martial artist, and I perform with WORLD ORDER.”, they accepted me immediately. It was a knockout.

When I met the mayor of Cebu City in the Philippines — where I serve as honorary principal of an English school — he was thrilled after watching a WORLD ORDER video. He even said, “Bring the karaoke set!” and started singing in the mayor’s office (laughs).

In the paid version of ‘FRIDAY GOLD,’ there’s an interview titled “Shaolin Temple and the Mayor of Cebu Were Both Knockouts: Genki Sudo Reveals WORLD ORDER’s Restart and the Humiliation of Mime.” It includes the full interview, making-of videos of new works, and solo performances.

Enjoy Sudo’s unique style—from the izakaya owner who created the ever-changing trickster, to the birth of WORLD ORDER thanks to Atsushi Onita, to the edge that made the illuminated bicycle a success!