There's an article in the current issue of Shukan Bunshun lambasting the "foolishness of no-talent celebrities" on all those overblown New Year's TV specials. But what's more annoying than the specials themselves is that they pre-empted the few shows that were worth watching, like "The Tetsuwan Dash!" (Nippon TV; Dec. 12, 6:55 p.m.), which took three weeks off right in the middle of some of Tokio's most compelling projects.
Tokio is, of course, the all-male idol singing group whose members are the stars of "Dash." They neither sing nor dance on the show, but instead carry out real-life projects. One of their current projects is building and operating a solar car.
Last year, the boys took a simple light van and outfitted it with a battery-operated motor and a solar panel. They did all the work themselves, including wiring and refitting the transmission. They tested the vehicle in a closed environment and fine-tuned it. Finally, they applied for a special solar-powered car license and registered the vehicle.