Best Reality TV Shows in Japan

This month, we’ve picked out the best reality shows in Japan for our top 7 reality shows. Bachelor of Science in Japan and Love is Blind Japan Not included.

1. Townhouse

When it comes to the best Japanese reality shows, the first show that comes to mind is Terrace House. First series — subtitled The boy next door x girl ——First aired on Fuji TV in October 2012. This is a sideline reality show featuring six seemingly polite people living under the same roof, which is more Big Brother The show is popular due to its non-competitive nature, which according to the show’s commentator Ryota Yamasato is one of the reasons for its popularity.

“There were conflicts, but they were handled in a quiet, thoughtful way that was probably more terrifying than an explosion,” he told Tokyo Weekend in 2017. Things really got heated in season five, leading to the show’s cancellation: Kimura Hana Kai Kobayashi accidentally put her wrestling outfit in the dryer and it shrank, and she was attacked by trolls for yelling at him, and she ended up committing suicide. “She was targeted because she expressed her emotions publicly in a country with such an open culture.” pleasure Very important,” explain Roommate Violetta Polt.

2. Old enough!

Japanese reality TV shows turn children (usually between 2 and 6 years old) into stars. Hajime Otsuka （My first errand) first aired on Japanese television in 1991. Thirty years later, the series premiered on Netflix under the English title Old enough! Describer The Guardianof Stewart Legacy An “absolute emotional rollercoaster that will tear your heart out,” the film follows toddlers and preschoolers as they go out to run errands for the first time. When they are sent out to do the shopping or take public transportation, they think they are alone.

The series was created by Junji Ouchi and was inspired by the 1976 picture book by Junko Tsutsui and Akiko Hayashi. Hajime OtsukaIt tells the story of Mii-chan, a 5-year-old girl who is sent by her mother, who is busy with housework, to buy milk. Old enough! She was scared the first time she went out, but she was very proud after completing the task. Although Mii-chan went out alone, this project was safer because the children were followed by a camera crew disguised as passers-by.

Chef Morimoto

3. Iron Chef

It opens with the quote from Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin: “Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you what you are.” Iron Chef （Iron Man Cooking) was a huge success when it first premiered in the 1990s. Eccentric stage and film actor Takeshi Kaga was the first to appear on Fuji TV Office The idea of ​​a stylized cooking competition. Executives loved the idea, and Kaga went ahead and hosted the show in a purpose-built culinary arena (which he called “Kitchen Stadium”).

His Gourmet Academy chefs—initially Rokusaburo Dojo, Kenichi Chen, and Yu Ishinabe, and later Hiroyuki Sakai, Masahiko Kobe, Mitsuaki Nakamura, and Shoji Morimoto—competed against chefs from around the world in a series of timed competitions. They had one hour to prepare multiple dishes based on a theme ingredient. A panel of judges then awarded points based on taste, presentation, and originality. Although there have been specials since, the Japanese series officially ended in 1999. That same year, Iron Chef It was aired on the Food Channel in the United States and Canada.

4. Money Tiger

“The Tiger of Malaya” is the nickname of the war criminal Tomoyuki Yamashita, which is a pun. Mane no Tora First aired on Japanese television in 2001. The show is hosted by actor Yoshida Eisaku and features porn star Nagase Ai in a sailor uniform in the opening video. The concept is simple: Inventors, product designers or service operators pitch their business ideas to entrepreneurs known as “money tigers” in the hope of getting their investment.

Money Tiger It aired between 2001 and 2004. In January 2005, the first version outside of Japan was broadcast on BBC 2 in the United Kingdom. Dragon Caveit was an immediate success. 21 seasons later, it is still going strong. In the US, it premiered on ABC in 2009. Shark TankEarlier this year, Bangladesh became the 50th country or region to air a local version of the show, which has won five Primetime Emmy Awards for Best Structured Reality Program.

5. Boyfriend

Men’s version Terrace House, Boy friend Hailed as “the best reality TV series on television” The Daily Beast The series premiered on Netflix earlier this year, shortly after it premiered. Season 1 follows nine men aged between 22 and 36 who live in a luxurious home called The Green Room in a coastal town outside of Tokyo. Five of them move in on the day of the premiere and receive a message via iPad informing them that they will be working together on the coffee truck.

and Terrace Housea group of celebrity commentators gave their thoughts on what was going on. The two housemates who received the most attention were Dai Nakai and Shun Nakanishi, who expressed their love for each other in the last episode and revealed that they were still together during the reunion show. Aran Takahashi and Kazuto Kasahara also left the green room hand in hand, however, the couple revealed during the reunion special that they did not make their relationship official after the show ended, although they remain close friends.

6. Ainori

A travel and romance reality TV show, Aini Seven people take a tour on a pink bus called the “Love Tour.” In addition to enjoying the scenery of various overseas countries, participants try to find love with people in the group. If they fall in love with someone, they ask the driver for a ticket back to Japan and confess their love to the object of their affection. If that person responds with a kiss – after a night of careful consideration – then the couple returns to Japan together.

However, if the other party is not enthusiastic, the abandoned participant must go home alone. In the first show broadcast by Fuji TV from 1999 to 2009, 44 couples found love. There were also 8 couples who got married, 1 couple divorced, and in 2005, the first couple Love Teaching baby. The show returned on Christmas Day 2010 and aired for four months. Fuji TV and Netflix then re-aired the show on streaming platforms in November 2017. The show has since toured Asia and Africa.

7. DENPA SHEN!

This is one of the most extreme reality shows ever produced in Japan. Radio Boy! — which means “Don’t go on! Crazy young man” — has been controversial for its brutal challenges. For example, comedian Takashi Ito and DJ Tse Chiu-Yan from Hong Kong faced hunger and dehydration while trying to travel from South Africa to Norway without spending a penny. While in the Sahara Desert, Ito fainted and had to be airlifted to hospital. Another challenge saw the two comedians left on a deserted island without any food.

The most famous season tells the story of comedian Tomoaki Hamamatsu (Nasubi). His goal was to win 1 million yen through a magazine raffle. Before he could achieve this goal, he had to live alone in a small apartment, naked – a cartoon of an eggplant covered his genitals. He was forced to live on the money he won from the raffle, initially surviving on water and a ration of biscuits. After winning rice, he realized he had nothing to cook it with. He achieved his goal after 335 days, but was then sent to South Korea to continue the challenge. A documentary about his experience is called Contestants It was released on Hulu last year.

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