Goofy comedian Hironari Yamazaki (a.k.a. Zakiyama), one half of popular manzai team Untouchable, goes solo for his very own primetime program. Each episode of Hayarimono Nokkari Variety: Zakiyama ga Kuru!! will see the funnyman head to a different location around Japan to investigate a recent trend. He’ll be accompanied by guest stars drawn from the ...
Given the incredible amount of food porn to be found on Japanese TV, it’s a wonder that there aren’t more programs like this. TV Tokyo’s Kaiten! Dream Shop is a documentary-style show about chefs struggling to open the restaurants of their dreams. This week’s episode showcases two very different restaurateurs: lifelong noodle buff Shibamori, who ...
Get yourself into World Cup mode with the FIFA Kaimaku Chokuzen Special, hosted by soccer greats Hidetoshi Nakata and Keisuke Honda. Before his retirement in 2006, Nakata racked up three World Cup and two Olympic appearances, in addition to stints in Italy’s Serie A and the English Premier League. Meanwhile, young star Honda, who played ...
Vampires and werewolves may be at the top of the supernatural food chain right now, but back in the late ’90s, it was all about the witches—specifically, the three sisters of The WB’s popular drama Charmed. The series originally starred Shannen Doherty, Holly Marie Combs and Alyssa Milano as a trio of witchy sisters, Prue, ...
Idol group Kanjani 8 gets a starring role in Asahi’s new spring lineup with its first nationally syndicated show, Bouken Japan! Kanjani 8 Map. Each week, the members take turns touring remote parts of Japan to ferret out local specialties—and oddities. Viewers are encouraged to visit the show’s website and recommend places for the crew ...
When a TV program is denounced as “every parent’s worst nightmare” and “mind-blowingly inappropriate,” some producers would run for cover. And then there are those who boldly splash such criticisms across their show’s promo posters. In the case of the rebelliously jaded teen demographic that makes up Gossip Girl’s main audience, derogatory quotes from the ...
The US is no stranger to British imports that become hit television series. From The Office and What Not to Wear to the latest crossover to hit the airwaves, Little Britain USA, American audiences continue to defy the stereotype that Yanks just don’t “get” the British sense of humor. Now satellite channel WOWOW will see ...
What does it mean to be 19? You’re grown up, but not yet an adult. It’s an age where you’re still trying to figure out your dreams. And then there’s 24—still young, yet only one year away from 25, a number that once seemed so far away. It is for the young people navigating this ...
Mega-popular idol group Arashi may be ten-year veterans of stage and screen, but these busy boys have recently added another achievement to their resumes. The Japan Tourism Agency enlisted Arashi to be the face of Japan as spokesmen for its new promotional campaign: “Japan. Endless Discovery.” Three of Arashi’s members inaugurated the promotion with speeches ...
Each Friday on Sekai wo Koeru Hyakunin no Nihonjin (roughly, “100 Japanese Who Span the Globe”), TV Tokyo devotes an hour of airtime to telling the stories of Japanese people who have made a name—and, in some cases, fame and fortune—for themselves overseas. This week’s program features enterprising folks like Yusei Uesugi, a scenery artist ...
One of the best-loved styles of Japanese comedy is dokkiri. Part candid camera, part sadistic practical joke, the format involves an unsuspecting sap who is put in an awkward situation and, essentially, punked. Comedy duo Bakusho Mondai (Yuji Tanaka and Hikari Ota) are the kings of the genre, and for this week’s fifth installment of ...
It’s that time of year again: the twice-yearly athletic extravaganza known as Sasuke returns to TBS. More than just a simple sports competition, this program challenges 100 men (and a few brave women) from around the world to survive a series of mind-bogglingly difficult obstacle courses. From climbing walls to spinning logs, the competitors must ...
The next time you start feeling sorry for yourself about the economic downturn—stop, reflect and be grateful that at least you’re not trying to support a family of 16. This week, TV Tokyo airs its fourth installment of Funto Nikki, a documentary special on the Watazus, a Shimane family struggling to provide for their two ...
It’s been said that Japanese people—especially those in Tokyo—are obsessed with the need to have the “best” of everything. So it’s no wonder that Fuji TV has decided to devote an entire show to that very idea. The Best House 123 is a weekly variety program that counts down the top three of… well, just ...
Call it the Japanese American Idol. Well, maybe not. NHK’s musical variety show Nodo Jiman has been giving amateur singers of all ages a chance to show off their pipes since debuting as a radio program in 1946. On March 6, viewers will be treated to the best of the past year’s performances with the ...
Many foreigners complain about the blandness of Japanese TV, but London Hearts is one program that likes to stir things up. Hosted by comedy duo London Boots—a.k.a. Atsushi Tamura and Ryo Tamura (no relation)—the variety show has ended up on the Japan PTA’s naughty list for five straight years. This week’s episode sees the return ...
From Apron of Love to Iron Chef, Japan is no stranger to TV cooking shows, but this week NTV will air a program that aims to top them all. The Ryori Ou began with 50 actors, idols, tarento and other showbiz folk competing in a no-holds-barred battle to be crowned King of Cooking. The four ...
While the US musical comedy-drama Glee has gotten mixed reviews from the critics, the cast has struck a melodious chord with the public—25 singles have hit the Billboard Top 100 during the course of the year, the most by any artist since The Beatles. Revolving around a high school choir in small-town Ohio, Glee documents ...
With all the exploitative, depressing and just plain weird shows on TV these days, it’s nice to watch a feel-good program. On Matsuoka Shuzo no Jyonetsu Charge, the former tennis pro finds children who are struggling to fulfill their dreams—whether they involve becoming a ping-pong ace or a train conductor—and brings in a coach to ...
Monday Code Blue 2 Tomohisa Yamashita, Yui Aragaki and fellow interns return in season 2 of this ER-style drama about young doctors training to join an air ambulance team. First episode: Jan 11 at 9pm on Fuji TV, channel 8. Tuesday Nakanai to Kimeta Hi Miki (Nana Eikura) is a new grad who scores a ...
It is nearly impossible to spend New Year’s in Japan without watching at least part of the legendary “Red vs. White” singing battle Kohaku Uta Gassen. To mark the 60th anniversary of the program this year, NHK has once again chosen actress Yukie Nakama (Gokusen; Trick) and Smap singer Masahiro Nakai as hosts—the pair’s third ...
Comedy fans across the country will be glued to their sets on Sunday as Japan’s most prestigious manzai event airs live on TV Asahi. The M-1 Grand Prix is the top competition for comedians in the traditional style—taking home the grand prize is considered a surefire career-launcher. The contest is open to pros and amateurs ...
Check out a special two-hour special episode of the mystery-solving variety show Ariehen Sekai. This week, hosts Shingo Murakami, Shota Yasuda and Ryuhei Maruyama of boy band Kanjani 8 present the 30 most incredible, shocking—and underreported—“news” items from 2009. Topics include transgender couples; the trend of sexually aggressive women who initiate gyaku, or “backwards” nampa, ...
Starting as a local Kanto-area program and then moving on to the big leagues, Guru-Guru Ninety-Nine (popularly known as “Gurunai”) has enjoyed extreme popularity since its debut in 1994. The show, hosted by Takashi Okamura and Hiroyuki Yabe of comedy duo Ninety-Nine, features the popular segment “Gochi ni narimasu!” (literally, “It’s your treat!”). Each week, ...
Love triangles and roommates are two surefire subjects for TV sitcom writers, and the creators of Not Going Out, it seems, are no different. Starting this month, Japanese viewers get their first chance to see the popular BBC series on satellite channel WOWOW. Lee (Lee Mack) is a happy-go-lucky “freeter” in London who ekes out ...
Remember those old episodes of Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers when they would take you on a tour of the crayon factory, or go behind the scenes to show how ice cream is made? Well, TV Tokyo’s new variety program The Gyakuryu Researchers takes that tried-and-true formula and gives it a grownup twist. Past shows ...
If there’s one thing Japan’s celebs need, it’s another place to showcase their brainpower. Well, maybe not, but that’s exactly what they’re getting with Asahi’s new Tensai wo Tsukuru! Galileo Noken, premiering this week. The program will feature two teams of tarento competing against each other in a series of brain-twisting quizzes involving short-term memory, ...
Returning for its second season this fall is the 2007 smash hit show Liar Game. The series follows Nao Kanzaki (Erika Toda), a naïve and “stupidly honest” college student who gets drawn into the titular “Liar Game”—a battle of wits and deception where the goal is to trick the other players out of ¥100,000,000. In ...
Zillion-selling boy band Arashi is well on its way to inheriting Smap’s crown as the supergroup of Japan. To cement this status, the five members are undertaking a marathon week of TV appearances in commemoration of their 10th anniversary. During “Arashi Challenge Week” on NTV, at least one group member will appear on each of ...
The so-called “slow life” movement may be gaining some ground overseas, but here in Japan we’re still as obsessed as ever with squeezing the most out of every minute. Next time you’re stuck fixing a fabulous dinner with just 20 minutes to spare, look no further than Jitan Seikatsu Guide Show. This new variety program ...
Monday Tokyo Dogs An elite NYC cop (Shun Oguri) comes to Tokyo to investigate a drug ring and must partner with an ex-delinquent special investigator (Hiro Mizushima) who’d rather chase girls. First episode: Oct 19 at 9pm on Fuji TV, channel 8. Tuesday Real Clothes Amano (Karina) believes it’s what’s inside that counts—putting her at ...
For those of us who saw science class as an opportunity to get some shuteye, TV Asahi’s Kiseki no Chikyu Monogatari: Kinmirai Souzou Science has us covered. Hosted by actor Koichi Yamadera, the upcoming three-part special, “Idai Naru Taiyou,” focuses on the sun in all its glory. The premiere episode covers nitty-gritty details like the ...
So much of Japanese TV revolves around food, it’s no surprise that a large number of tarento make their living by stuffing their faces faster and longer than anyone else. In celebration of this noble calling, TV Tokyo presents its seasonal special Oogui Ou Ketteisen to determine the “King of Gluttons.” This year, eight competitors ...
While it’s true that much of Japanese comedy revolves around manzai stand-up routines, there is also a long tradition of humorous skits known as conte. To celebrate this obscure branch of owarai, TBS last year debuted King of Conte, a competition open to all pro and amateur geinin in teams of two or more. This ...
The latest matrimony-themed show to hit Japanese airwaves is NTV’s Shiawase Kekkon Sodanjo, or Happy Marriage Counseling Office. The program, which premiered September 1, is hosted by model Moe Oshikiri and comedians Koji Imada and Tutorial (aka Yoshimi Tokui and Mitsunori Fukuda). The show promises to offer a brutally honest assessment of the hopeless singles ...
Forget all your preconceptions, because the Koukou Quiz (aka All-Japan High School Quiz Championship) is like no quiz bowl you’ve ever seen. Students from 52 schools nationwide compete in teams of three, often wearing outlandish costumes to show off their spirit (and attract the attention of the TV cameras). Celebrity guests ranging from former Morning ...
TV Tokyo presents another addition to the roster of guidebook-style travel programs with Shutsubotsu! Ado-Machikku Tengoku. Each week, this show focuses on the high- and low-lights of a different area of Japan, with popular “corners” including a countdown of the 30 most interesting attractions in each city. This week, hosts Kinya Aikawa and Mariko Oe ...
Sci-fi geeks, rejoice: season 2 of the popular time-twisting TV show Primeval is finally coming to Japan. In the first season of this thriller from the UK, Dr. Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) and his team discover the first of several “anomalies,” or portals leading back to prehistoric times. As a series of increasingly deadly predators ...
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All across Tokyo, preparations are underway for the 33rd annual Sumida River Hanabi Taikai, when approximately 20,000 fireworks will light up the night sky over Asakusa. The two-hour-long spectacle is a competition between rival groups, who strive to outdo each other with stunning displays of everything from traditional warimono hanabi to famous cartoon characters. Known ...