Chapter 1 – A Prologue
The year is 2024; the city is Tokyo.
Located in the heart of Japan, Tokyo is the culture capital of Asia. No other city in the continent has the diversity in fashion, music, and art that Tokyo does. From the bustling streets of the Shibuya district, to the bright neon skyscrapers of the Benten district, and even hidden somewhere in the smokestacks and murky sewers of the Kogane district, Tokyo oozes style out of every corner.
However, what was once a prosperous city is now a shell of its former self. Rokkaku Shigetsugu, Tokyo's previous mayor, passed away nearly a decade ago and his son, Rokkaku Gouji, swiftly took over. Using funds that he embezzled from his father's government, he formed his own government agency: the Rokkaku Group. Gouji uses his corrupt organization to influence the city's industry and culture for his own gain. Desiring profit and power over anything else, he passes laws that bring more money into his pockets and stamps down on anyone who doesn't toe the line. Over time, the formerly peaceful city of Tokyo became a city whose people live in fear of an oppressive government. To prevent any attempts at a revolt, Gouji bought out Tokyo's police force and turned them into his own private military, threatening protesters into obedience.
Gouji hasn't been able to silence everyone though. Fueled by their oppressive government, there exist groups of rebellious kids who've chosen to fight back against the Rokkaku Group in their own unique way. These kids—who call themselves Rudies—have taken to wearing inline skates and spraying colourful graffiti all around the city. They feel that this is one of the few remaining ways they're able to express their individuality. However, incapable of doing anything to fight against their government's stranglehold, they've formed separate gangs and begun fighting against each other in attempts to claim and expand their own turf.
Not trusting of state-funded news networks, many underground pirate radio stations have cropped up for the Rudies and other dissenters to tune into. The most popular station is called Jet Set Radio, hosted by a man named DJ Professor K. Nobody knows who or where he is, but Professor K can be trusted to supply the Rudies with information on happenings all around the city, from police shakedowns to gang activities. With his cool voice and cooler sounds, Professor K became a sort of guiding light to all the Rudies.
Now, years after rising to power, Gouji has become apathetic with his position and is searching for something that will stimulate his interests. Feeling that Tokyo's growth has become stagnant, Gouji set out to improve the city's infrastructure. He shut down the Tokyo Line railway, recognizing that it had become outdated, and began work on a new transit system. However, this new system has yet to surface and now the citizens of Tokyo are left without any high-speed methods of transportation. Gouji also recognized the need for new residential areas. However, he built these areas in Kogane—a district known for its pollution and decrepit infrastructure. It seems that even in Gouji's attempts to improve the city, he does more harm than good. Perhaps realizing this, Gouji has announced the Rokkaku Expo where he is preparing to announce his new ambitious plans for the future of Tokyo.
Everyone is waiting with bated breath to see how he could possibly make things even worse.