It's that time of year again, when hundreds of people can be seen lining up in front of the shopping arcades in Ginza and Shinjuku. No, we're not talking about Christmas. We're talking about the big Yearend Lottery.
As it is elsewhere in the world, the lottery -- takarakuji -- is big business in Japan. Last year, the Japanese spent more than 1 trillion yen on lottery tickets, and it's estimated that 70 percent of the citizens buy some form of takarakuji at least once a year. As the recession continues, these numbers have increased.
This week's installment of Nihon TV's weekly documentary show, "Super TV" (Dec. 16, 9 p.m.), will take a lighthearted look at lottery mania as the country gears up for the year's biggest jackpot -- 300 million yen -- the winners of which will be chosen around New Year's. There are a possible 504 winners of this top prize, but you probably won't hear anything about them since, unlike in the United States or Europe, the names of lottery winners are not announced by Mizuho Bank, which oversees the administration of the lottery. In Japan, it's considered gauche to trumpet one's winnings.