On January 13, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii was appointed as Abashiri City’s tourism ambassador, not for his work on the popular RPG franchise, but for his 1984 murder mystery title The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case: The Okhotsk Disappearance. The city, which serves as the setting for parts of the story, considers the original 1984 game and its 2024 remake, The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case The Okhotsk Disappearance ~Memories in Ice, Tearful Figurine~, major contributors to local tourism, which is why Horii was awarded the title.
The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case is the second game in Yuji Horii’s Mysteries trilogy, nestled between 1983’s The Portopia Serial Murder Case (which inspired Kojima Productions head honcho Hideo Kojima to become a game developer) and 1985’s Karuizawa Yūkai Annai. All three games are set in Japanese prefectures, with the majority of The Portopia Serial Murder Case taking place in Kobe (with some parts set in Kyoto and Sumoto), The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case in eastern Hokkaido (which includes cities like Kushiro, Abashiri, Shiretoko, and Monbetsu), and Karuizawa Yūkai Annai in the resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano.
Going back to Abashiri, ever since The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case was released in 1984, fans have been going to the city with the purpose of visiting the real-life locations featured in the game. As such, the city has come up with several ways to capitalize on this long-running fad. JR Hokkaido’s tourist train “Ryuhyo Monogatari” features a collab with The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case. The Nippopo doll, which is an important key item in the game, is a popular souvenir that sells well with tourists. Those eager to get the full experience can even join fan meeting tours, where like-minded enthusiasts can learn more about Abashiri and its connection to The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case (Horii and other members of the production staff even joined one of the 2024 tours to commemorate the release of the remake).
Upon receiving a letter of appointment as an Abashiri city tourism ambassador and an official business card stating his position, Horii had a few words to say:
“Nothing makes me happier than hearing how an adventure game helped revitalize a region. I’m thrilled that fans are coming and buying lots of local items. Hearing that the game I developed has been useful in so many ways—like bringing everyone joy—makes all the effort worthwhile.”
“Back in 1983, when I went to Hokkaido to make an adventure game, my final destination was Abashiri. There, I toured the Abashiri Prison and encountered the Nippopo doll. This became a key item in The Hokkaido Serial Murder Case: The Okhotsk Disappearance. Years later, when I revisited Abashiri for the remake, it was interesting to see how much had changed. The Abashiri Prison Museum didn’t exist when I first went. When I went on a previous fan meeting tour, there was a beautiful museum. The food is incredibly delicious, too, and it feels like a place out of a dream. I think Abashiri is a wonderful town.”
Related: Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Horii entertains possibility of making a brand-new adventure game
