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(Image credit: Kojima Productions/505 Games)
A Twitter thread recently delved into “maybe one of the oddest professions in Japan” called bokka, which are basically porters who carry supplies to mountainous areas where vehicles can’t access. “A bokka uses customized wooden ladder frames to carry 100-165kg of supplies on day-long marches,” the thread explains.
SamPorterBridges. Tricky 10km hikes. Balancing stacks of cargo on a vertical, wobbly structure. Death Stranding has been a not-so-secret bokka simulator all along, unbeknownst to those who were unfamiliar with the profession before the social media algorithms enlightened us.
Maybe one of the oddest professions in Japan is that of the bokka (歩荷). Porters who carry supplies to remote mountain guesthouses inaccessible to vehicles. A bokka uses customized wooden ladder frames to carry 100-165kg of supplies on day long marches (walk up, run down). pic.twitter.com/JmD1iGBv7YFebruary 29, 2024
Maybe one of the oddest professions in Japan is that of the bokka (歩荷). Porters who carry supplies to remote mountain guesthouses inaccessible to vehicles. A bokka uses customized wooden ladder frames to carry 100-165kg of supplies on day long marches (walk up, run down). pic.twitter.com/JmD1iGBv7YFebruary 29, 2024
A similar role exists in some European countries, including Slovakia, so the team at Kojima Productions wasn’t exaggerating how finicky the act of simply walking can be. Certain mountain couriers are said to have scaled Mount Fuji while carrying over 100kg, and you can imagine their pain when a wrong step caused their load to topple off. If you’ve played Death Stranding, then you can definitely imagine it.
Should you be interested in profession, I’ve embedded a sweet and short documentary about one of the superheroes who partake in the job. It’s all in Japanese, but just witnessing the physical feat is interesting enough.
Death Stranding players were expectedly quick to notice the connection, with some even surprised that, yes, art imitates life. Twitter user cuddlepuunk said the tidbit paints the game in a “beautifully different light.” Meanwhile, podcaster Kalyoshika called for more criticism to draw the “connection between real life and the game.”
Death Stranding 2: On The Beachshould continue to expand on that finicky hiking loop when it launches next year. Actor Norman Reedus has said it’smore violent than anything seen in the first game, but hopefully, my nature walks are intact too.
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Check outwhat a 64-year-old film can tell us about Death Stranding 2: On The Beach.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
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3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
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Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”