In March, Rina Suzuki, 16, known as Japan's first "volunteer idol," was among those reminding spectators not to forget to vote in the Yokohama mayoral election at a preseason baseball game at Yokohama Stadium.
"Her smiling face is nice, isn't it?" said Akihiko Takaishi, 31, who videotaped her.
Takaishi isn't just a baseball fan with an eye for pretty girls, however. He is a producer for The Works Co., a TV production company that creates variety shows and dramas. His company's latest show is a first -- a program about a "volunteer teen idol."