Tag - channel-surf

 
 

CHANNEL SURF

Japan Times
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jun 14, 2013
The economics of men's cosmetics; top six meaty menus; CM of the week: Toyota
Though everyone is fretting about Japan's economic future, the young people who are destined to become tomorrow's leaders have had little opportunity to share their own ideas on the topic. NHK's new information program, "Oikonomia" (NHK-E, Tues., 11:30 p.m.), a madeup term based on the English word "economics,"...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jun 2, 2013
Fun with frugality plus competitive money saving; CM of the week: Parinko
On the variety show "Shiawase Bonbi Garu" ("Happy Poor Girls"; Nippon TV, Tues., 10 p.m.), celebrities look at how much fun it is to live the impoverished life. The women who are the subjects of the show grew up during the recession, so saving money is as natural to them as breathing. The point is to...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
May 19, 2013
Private tutor as crime solver; inner workings of the human body, dramatized; CM of the week: Acom
These days a college education doesn't get you as far as it used to, though it comes in handy for solving crimes, apparently. The hero of the two-hour suspense drama "Katei Kyoshi ga Toku" ("Private Tutor Solves the Case"; TBS, Mon., 9 p.m.) is a private tutor who attempts to unravel a murder mystery...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
May 12, 2013
Womens fashion fail-off; celebs discuss transgender issues; CM of the week: Boss
Everybody on TV knows their place and what's expected of them, so the "women's pride battle" on the variety show "London Hearts" (TV Asahi, Tues., 9 p.m.) needs to be qualified. What kind of women? Pride in what?
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
May 5, 2013
Two documentaries on the rougher side of sports; CM of the week: Bandai Namco's Gundam games
The life of a pro athlete can be grueling, but 37-year-old soccer player Dan Ito has a perverse determination to make his even more so.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 28, 2013
Enka queen sings jazz; documentary on dementia; CM of the week: g.u.
Aki Yashiro is known as the Queen of Enka, or "Japanese ballads," according to the standard translation. However, Yashiro started out singing jazz in hostess clubs and didn't make her enka debut until 1971, when she was 21 years old. Last year she finally released an album of jazz standards.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 21, 2013
'The Cat Lawyer and the Invisible Man'; Imalu as a barista; CM of the week: Loto 7
A sequel to an award-winning original script solicited by TBS and Kodansha publishing, "Neko Ben to Tomei Ningen" ("The Cat Lawyer and the Invisible Man"; TBS, Mon., 9 p.m.) stars Hidetaka Yoshioka as Taro Momose, a graduate of the University of Tokyo's law department whose introverted personality and...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 14, 2013
Profiles of Japanese living overseas; CM of the week: Astalift
It's been said that Japanese people, especially younger ones, no longer travel abroad in search of adventure. This week there are three programs that go looking for Japanese people who do just that.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 7, 2013
The dogs of post-3/11 Fukushima; ESP for the common man; CM of the week: Tokyo Metro
The March 2011 accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant forced the relocation of hundreds of families, and since then television has made a concerted effort to keep us informed as to their situation. On Tuesday, NHK will air a special about family members who tend to get less attention: pet...
JAPAN / Media / CHANNEL SURF
Mar 24, 2013
"Paji"; Persian influence in ancient Japan?; CM of the week: Nissin Foods
"Paji," a manga that won an award from the Cultural Agency, has been turned into a two-hour TV drama (TV Tokyo, Wed., 9 p.m.). The title is a mash-up of "papa" and "ojiisan" (grandfather) and describes the main character, Mokuchi (Shiro Ito), a 71-year-old widower who is raising his 5-year-old granddaughter,...
JAPAN / Media / CHANNEL SURF
Mar 17, 2013
Rhapsody in scrubs; Foreign hometowns; CM of the week: De Niro for BeeTV
The doctor shows just keep coming, but the two-part "Kyokuhoku Rhapsody" (NHK-G, Tues.-Wed., 10 p.m.) borrows a current issue from the headlines to make its dramatic point.
JAPAN / Media / CHANNEL SURF
Mar 3, 2013
Re-creating Reiko Ohara; Tragic tsunami elementary school; CM of the week: Elleair
Reiko Ohara died in 2009 after a long illness and an even longer time out of the public eye. In the 1970s and '80s, she was one of the busiest and most respected actresses in Japan. On Wednesday, TV Tokyo is presenting a two-hour drama about her life, "Joyu Reiko: Hono no yo ni" ("Actress Reiko: Like...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 24, 2013
'Love is Science'; tribute to Kenji Miyazawa; CM of the week: DMM.com
If love is the drug, then chemistry explains everything, right? That seems to be the premise of the four-part miniseries "Renai wa Kagaku da" ("Love is Science"; Fuji TV, Mon.-Fri., 11 p.m.).
JAPAN / Media / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 17, 2013
Beat Takeshi and disappearing Japan; Taking apart the Boeing 707; CM of the week: Takada Moving Center
An endangered plant or animal species symbolizes a world that changes irrevocably every moment, but there are also man-made things that vanish. This week, on the variety show "Takeshi no Nippon no Mikata" ("Takeshi's Way of Viewing Japan"; TV Tokyo, Fri., 10 p.m.), comedian-filmmaker Takeshi Kitano looks...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jan 19, 2013
Share house lovers; "Tonbi"; CM of the week: Open House
A "share house" is a relatively new concept in Japan: unrelated people sharing a rented residence. The new drama series, "Shea Hausu no Koibito" ("Share House Lovers"; Nippon TV, Wed., 10 p.m.) puts the inevitable romantic spin on it.
JAPAN / Media / CHANNEL SURF
Jan 13, 2013
A signature mystery; "Last Hope"; CM of the week: Mister Donut
The new Fuji TV drama series, "Biburia Koshodo no Jiken Techo" ("Biblia Antique Book Shop Case Notebook"; Mon., 9 p.m.) is based on a series of "light mystery novels," meaning stories where no one is killed. Ayame Goriki plays Shioriko, who runs the titular store located in an alley near Kita Kamakura...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jan 6, 2013
Ueto stars as ex-con in NHK drama; a Japanese spin on "The Brothers Karamazov"; CM of the week: Parco
Strange casting decisions are often explained by advertising prerogatives, so we're not sure what prompted NHK to cast Aya Ueto against type to play an ex-con in the 10-part drama "Itsuka Hi no Ataru Basho de" ("In a Place Where the Sun Sometimes Shines"; NHK-G, Tues., 10 p.m.).
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Dec 23, 2012
"Family History"; Top athletes in unimaginable contests; CM of the week: Sato Shokuhi
The portion of resident Korean nationals in the sports and show business worlds is higher than it is in the general population. Athletics and entertainment were and still are two traditional ways for non-Japanese to escape poverty.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Dec 9, 2012
"Give it a try!"; A Matsumoto mystery; CM of the week: Pizza Hut
Celebrity couples are very popular among variety-show producers, but in recent years they have shown more interest in another two-for-one bargain: the parent-child pairing. This week a special two-hour edition of the consumer challenge show, "Otameshi Ka!" ("Give It a Try!"; TV Asahi, Mon. 7 p.m.) will...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Dec 2, 2012
Terrorists and prison breaks; "Secrets of Prefectural Residents"; CM of the week: Family Mart
Criminality is the theme of this week's two-hour special edition of "Jitsuroku Sekai no Mystery" ("True Accounts of World Mysteries"; TV Tokyo, Mon., 9 p.m.). The main segment recounts a terrorist incident. On Dec. 11, 1994, Philippine Airlines Flight 434 was en route from Cebu to Narita when a bomb...

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