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July 16, 2024
 

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CHANNEL SURF

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jul 8, 2012
The brief life of Kaneko Misuzu; "Yumin Super Woman" visits Mt. Koya; CM of the week: The Try Group
Right after the Great East Japan Earthquake, the only commercials on TV were from the non-profit Ad Council. One of them featured a touching children's poem by Misuzu Kaneko (1903-1930) about the primacy of sibling relationships.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jul 1, 2012
Another tax drama; murder mystery at the archery club; CM of the week: Delicare
Nippon TV obviously thinks we're not sick of taxes yet because this week they launch a new drama series called "Tokkan" (Wed., 10 p.m.), an abbreviation of tokubetsu kokuzei chōshūkan, or "special national tax collection officer."
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jun 24, 2012
Visiting the real Morocco; Meeting the showbiz parents; CM of the week: Scalabo
The travel show "Sekai Itte Mitara Honto wa Konna Toko Datta" ("If You See the World This is What You Really Get"; Fuji TV, Mon., 10:30 p.m.) expands to an hour for a special on the Kingdom of Morocco, which has become very popular among female Japanese travelers for its colorful fashions.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jun 17, 2012
Job-hunting tips; history of Cook Islands; CM of the week: Clorets
As everyone knows, the job market is tight — even for young people just entering the workforce. This week, the NHK "real life" information program, "Otona e Tobira TV" ("The Door to Adulthood TV"; NHK-E, Thurs., 7:25 p.m.) offers advice for job seekers, who are confronted with an economic environment...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jun 10, 2012
Investigation of the 'long life' hormone; forensics mystery; CM of the week: Kagome
A new obsession in Japan is something called the "long life" (chōju) hormone, a naturally occurring chemical that prolongs the life of the person who produces it. The medical variety show "Shujii ga Mitsukaru Shinryojo" ("The Clinic Where You Can Find Your Own Home Doctor"; TV Tokyo, Mon., 8 p.m.)...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Jun 3, 2012
Time travel to eco Edo; AKB48 elections; CM of the week: Masami Hisamoto for Kao
June 3 through 10 is Eco Week on Nippon TV, so it is airing some specials emphasizing environmental issues. One is "Chotaiken! Time Warp Ryokosha Oedo-hen" ("Super Experience! Time Warp Travel Agency Oedo Edition"; Tues., 9 p.m.).
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
May 20, 2012
Time-travelling reporters; celebrity genes; CM of the week: Schick
As if there wasn't enough news to cover now, NHK has started sending reporters back in time on the variety show "Time Scoop Hunter" (NHK-G, Tues., 10:55 p.m.). Journalists use "warp technology" to travel to different eras to collect information about how people really lived in the past.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
May 13, 2012
'Where are they now' special; celebrities battle it out; CM of the week: Tokyo Gas
The variety show "Bakuho the Friday" (TBS, Friday, 7 p.m.) expands from an occasional special to a weekly series. The title is a mashup of Bakusho Mondai, the comedy duo who act as hosts, and jōhō, which means information. The theme is in-depth information about showbiz people, in particular...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 29, 2012
Erika Sawajiri is an "Evil Woman"; controversial DaVinci paintings; CM of the week: Lotte Ghana
She's back, and badder than ever! Actually, before her monumental fall from grace, actress Erika Sawajiri rose to fame on her innocent image and ability to weep on cue. But after dissing her own film at a press conference she became poison.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 22, 2012
Checkups for celebrities; Emi Takei acts double-time in 'Daburu no Higeki'; CM of the week: Oronamin C
As the average age of TV viewers gets older, the networks schedule more and more programs about medicine and health. The variety show "Shujii ga Mitsukaru Shinryojo" ("The Clinic Where You Can Find Your Home Physician"; TV Tokyo, Mon., 8 p.m.), hosted by veteran announcer Hitoshi Kusano and comedian...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 15, 2012
Papa is an idol; marriage and memory loss; CM of the week: Takara Shuzo
Last month, pop idol Jin Akanishi was punished by his agency, Johnny's & Associates, for getting married without telling them. Another Johnny's idol, Ryo Nishikido, of the group Kanjani 8, has his handlers' blessing in the new series "Papa-doru" ("Papa Idol"; TBS, Thurs., 9 p.m.), which, though fiction,...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 8, 2012
Tamori-Nakai hanami; family life as seen by Takashi Okamura; CM of the week: Daiichi-Sankyo
Before a new television season begins in full, networks always air a few preview-type variety shows where cast members show up to plug their upcoming drama series. The content of such specials is usually a quiz or funny outtakes from the drama being promoted.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Apr 1, 2012
'Gon' anime; teachers' drama 'Blackboard'; CM of the week: Orangina
Among the newest additions to Japan's anime menagerie is the eponymous star of "Gon" (TV Tokyo; Mon., 6 p.m.), a cute dinosaurlike critter who is totally instinctual, which, in the world he inhabits, makes him (her?) even more of a troublemaker than your average anime character.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Mar 25, 2012
Surprise trip to Sicily; Miracle Hospice; CM of the week: Boss coffee
Until his death last May, Kiyoshi Kodama was the host of the NHK travel show "Sekai Bikkuri Ryokosha" ("World Surprise Travel Agency"; NHK, Tues., 7:30 p.m.). Kodama was the "owner" of the titular travel firm who recommended "unique" overseas sightseeing plans from his studio perch.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Mar 18, 2012
Goro plays up comic side; the journey of the cherry blossom tree; CM of the week: Kirin Hyoketsu
Goro Inagaki adds his peculiar comic touch to the role of a prosecutor's investigator, thus muscling in on fellow SMAP member Takuya Kimura's territory. Kimura's most famous character is the irreverent (at least in terms of sartorial choices) prosecutor in the "Hero" series. In the special two-hour drama...
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Mar 11, 2012
Magic special; traveling chefs; CM of the week: Suntory Premium Malt's
The inter-season TV season is getting longer and longer, with more two- and three-hour specials to tide viewers over until the next batch of hastily assembled drama series start. Presenting something that gets people's attention becomes a challenge.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 26, 2012
Fantasy series 'O-Parts'; documentary on Japan's new budget airlines; CM of the week: Bath Roman
A new four-part fantasy series, "O-Parts" (Fuji TV, Mon.-Thurs., 11 p.m.), based on the popular manga, will air this week. Ryuhei Maruyama plays Kakizawa, an unemployed youth who is abducted by a mysterious man in black.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 19, 2012
Japanese in remote locations; drama about dying at home; CM of the week: Kirin
The subject of "Sekai no Hate no Nihonjin" ("Japanese at the Ends of the World"; TBS, Thurs., 7 p.m.) is Japanese people who live in remote areas outside of Japan.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 12, 2012
Family reunion special; medical mystery 'Shi no Tenteki'; CM of the week: Takasu Clinic
TV Tokyo presents the latest in its series of attempted reunion specials. Though this sort of show is common on Japanese television, "Umi wo Koeta Kazoku Ai" ("Family Love Beyond the Sea"; Mon., 8 p.m.) goes a step further by reconnecting loved ones separated by international borders.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming / CHANNEL SURF
Feb 5, 2012
'Star Draft Council'; L'Arc-en-Ceil anniversary; CM of the week: Able/Chintai
"Star Tanjo" ("Birth of a Star") was one of the most influential TV series of the 1970s, an audition show that launched the careers of dozens of idol singers. "Star Draft Kaigi" ("Star Draft Council"; Nippon TV, Tues., 10 p.m.) takes the general structure of "Star Tanjo" — representatives of talent...
Who needs AI when you have Hatsune Miku?
Over the first six months of 2024, a handful of songs using Vocaloid singer Hatsune Miku’s voice have enjoyed widespread attention, underlining a global interest in the character and the technology she represents.
Bloodied Trump survives assassination attempt at political rally
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is surrounded and evacuated by Secret Service agents at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday. Trump was rushed off stage at the rally after shots rang out.
Shooter came within inches of killing Trump, but left few clues as to why
An aerial view shows the stage where Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump had been standing during an assassination attempt the day before, and the roof of a nearby building where a gunman was shot dead by law enforcement, in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Sunday.
Yen’s woes seem too big for even a BOJ hike this month to solve
The Bank of Japan headquarters in Tokyo
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
How to beat Japan’s summer heat in ways better for the planet
Tenugui towels hang up to dry at a dyeing company in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, on May 8. The durable and versatile tenugui, which many people have in their homes, can be used in many ways to cool one’s body.
After Trump shooting, U.S. presidential race might take a violent turn
United States Secret Service Counter Snipers stand guard on a rooftop during a campaign rally for U.S. President Donald Trump in Avoca, Pennsylvania, in 2020.
No AC this summer? No problem (for me).
Think air conditioning is a requirement for a Tokyo summer? Think again.
She’s paying ¥1 million to help behind the scenes at the Paris Olympics
Mai Tarumi, who previously volunteered at the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has a travel budget of ¥1 million for her trip to volunteer at the Paris Games.

Podcast

You can often see generations of families enjoying performances together at Fuji Rock Festival.
Japan’s summer music festivals are feeling the heat in more ways than one

Longform

Akiko Trush says her experience with the neurological disorder dystonia left her feeling like she wanted to chop her own hand off.
The neurological disorder that 'kills culture'
By Tomoko Otake

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals
Exploring Japanese culturevia Tohoku’s festivals

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