English teachers will definitely want to check out Sunday's two-hour "SmaStation Spring Berabera Festival" (TV Asahi, 6:56 p.m.). "SmaStation" is the latest SMAP-related hit variety series, normally broadcast Saturday nights at 11 p.m. Taking its name from TV Asahi's influential nightly news program, "NewsStation," "SmaStation" features wide-eyed SMAP member Shingo Katori and celebrity guests going over the previous week's news and quizzing each other on current events.
The most popular segment is the "berabera quiz." Berabera is an onomatopoeic word normally used to describe someone who is fluent in a foreign language. Katori has been studying English, and each week he and a celebrity challenger face off by translating Japanese phrases into colloquial English.
Tonight's "Berabera Festival" will feature some "super celebrities," including actor Hiroshi Tachi, the comedy duo Kyaiin, actress/talent Yuka, the girl-group Morning Musume and even Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara, who will discuss the issue of Japan's English-language education policy with Katori (though, unfortunately, not in English).
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