"Likes" Worth Your Life: Government Turns Dangerous Cliffs into Gacha-Based Photo Spots. Grand Prize: "Immediate Drone Rescue"

In response to recurring social media backlash after falling accidents, the government has delivered its final answer: opening dangerous cliffs as paid "Insta-worthy Gacha Cliffs." Purchase an admission ticket (with life insurance included) and shoot from the cliff edge. Additional paid gacha offers prizes like "stylish helmets" and "drones for the perfect shot." Note: rescue team arrival time varies by plan.

2025-11-05

Translations: JA

Social Lab

"Likes" Worth Your Life: Government Turns Dangerous Cliffs into Gacha-Based Photo Spots. Grand Prize: "Immediate Drone Rescue"

In response to recurring social media backlash after falling accidents, the government has delivered its final answer: opening dangerous cliffs as paid “Insta-worthy Gacha Cliffs.” Purchase an admission ticket (with life insurance included) and shoot from the cliff edge. Additional paid gacha offers prizes like “stylish helmets” and “drones for the perfect shot.” Note: rescue team arrival time varies by plan.

The endless stream of selfie accidents at scenic spots, and the futile “self-responsibility” debates that erupt on social media each time. To put an end to this barren loop, the government announced on the 26th a new system as a joint project of the Digital Society Promotion Headquarters and the Japan Tourism Agency: opening one of the nation’s most dangerous cliffs as a paid “Designated Managed Scenic Area: Insta-worthy Gacha Cliff.” This is an unprecedented solution that turns the modern affliction of approval-seeking into an opportunity, aiming to solve both safety management and economic revitalization in one stroke.

Users first sign a “Self-Responsibility Declaration” at the entrance gate and purchase an admission ticket (5,000 yen) that includes minimum-guarantee life insurance. Then, they try their luck at the giant gacha machine installed on the cliff. For 500 yen per spin, they can win prizes ranging from N (Normal) “just a safety rope” to SR (Super Rare) “stylish helmet in collaboration with a famous brand” and SSR (Double Super Rare) “AI-powered drone that suggests the perfect shooting angle.”

The highlight, however, is the UR (Ultra Rare) item with a 0.01% drop rate: “Immediate Drone Rescue Rights.” If you slip and fall, a state-of-the-art rescue drone literally flies over and recovers you instantly—the ultimate safety net. A government official proudly stated, “While maintaining the principle of self-responsibility, we stimulate gambling instincts to encourage investment in safety. This is a new form of sustainable risk management.”

However, the true essence of this system lies in the “Rescue Priority” that fluctuates based on payment amount. If you subscribe to the expensive “Premium Rescue Plan” (100,000 yen per month), rescue teams will rush to your aid with top priority regardless of whether you have the UR item. But users on the “Economy Plan” (admission fee only) will receive an announcement stating, “We will head your way after completing rescue of other customers.” An era has arrived where the price of life is determined by subscription tier.

Against this excessively capitalist measure, some human rights groups have raised criticism, calling it “discrimination of life.” However, online opinions such as “It’s natural to pay for your own life” and “If this reduces annoying influencers, I welcome it” dominate, highlighting modern society’s distorted self-responsibility discourse.

Professor Manabu Arisugawa, a social ethicist, commented with an expression somewhere between dismay and admiration: “This is tantamount to ethical values themselves sliding off a cliff. However, from a marketing perspective, the skill of commodifying risk and packaging it as individual choice is nothing short of brilliant.”

Already, influencers aiming for the perfect shot are forming long queues around “Insta-worthy Gacha Cliff,” and from below the cliff, one can hear the cheerful sound of gacha handles turning and, occasionally, faint screams carried by the wind. The government plans to expand this model to dangerous areas nationwide and attract overseas tourists as “Dark Tourism 2.0.”

Will this endeavor open new horizons in the era of self-responsibility, or is it a foolish act that pushes society’s ethical values off a cliff? We can only hold our breath and watch the number of “Likes” flowing across our smartphone screens and the rescue team’s arrival time.

Stakeholder Comments

Popular influencer Kirara: “I finally got the UR rescue rights after spending 300,000 yen! Now I can dance on the cliff edge without worry!”
Government official: “We have effectively utilized the intangible asset of citizens’ approval-seeking desires as national revenue.”
Cliff: “My shoulders have been stiff lately. Also, the sound of falling coins is noisy.”
Photography Drone (SSR): “I do receive rescue signals, but my specifications prioritize optimizing shooting angles.”
Life Insurance Company: “We provide full support for our customers’ ‘final memory-making.’”
Rescue Team Member: “According to our operational manual, the first step upon receiving a dispatch request is to check the customer’s payment tier.”
Professor Manabu Arisugawa (Social Ethics): “Ethics has finally become a gacha prize. I’m terrified of what comes next.”
Economy Plan User (via weak signal): “…Zzz…Zzz…not yet…? Getting bored…of the view…”
UR Winner: “This sense of security is priceless! I can truly enjoy ‘Likes’ from the perspective of the gods!”
Smartphone: “If you tilt any further, both Wi-Fi and social credibility will be out of range.”