Television

Jan 03 2007 2 Comments

Bikini-clad bottom battlers

With sumo’s popularity gradually waning, now is perhaps the perfect time to think about introducing a new, more attractive national sport to the Japanese masses — like bikini bottom wrestling for example.

An activity that cleverly continues sumo’s blink-and-you’ve-missed-it bouts and a distinct lack of clothing, yet at the same time is far more appealing and perky.

Although with its fast-paced action, the regular use of replays to accurately judge the winner would probably be necessary, with slow motion and pause facilities a must.

Dec 29 2006 2 Comments

Hidden depth

A quick glance at any video sharing website would probably lead the casual observer to conclude that Japanese TV veers from mind numbing tosh to mere titillation — with next to nothing in-between. Yet a rummage through the nooks and crannies of night-time commercial television reveals a slightly different picture, with some shows taking a decidedly more serious approach.

Like the one below for example, whose fearless guests attempt to get to the bottom of the day’s important issues.

Gallantly sniffing out clues and getting up close and personal with the truth.

Such a penetrative approach producing real, if somewhat unsavoury, results. Allowing Japanese viewers a rare glimpse of the country’s darker side.

Dec 21 2006 19 Comments

Food for thought

Extensive research involving quickly flicking through the freely available terrestrial channels, found that 99.8% of Japanese television programmes are food related — whether creating, consuming or simply going cock-a-hoop over the stuff.

A sorry state of affairs that leaves those not exactly obsessed with food somewhat starved of entertainment, although thankfully there is the odd exception.

Cleverly combining cooking and scantily-clad young ladies, the far from comatose contestants have to try and keep track of how each tasty little dish is made, rather than greedily feasting their eyes on the far more fruitier offerings on display.

An approach that if embraced by all the channels would surely fail to go stale, the endless variations of recipes and raiment keeping customers more than happy.

Such a bold move perhaps also causing cooking fans to conjure up very different images whenever the name of famed TV chef Fanny Cradock is banded about.

Dec 12 2006 1 Comment

J-League jamboree

Even though the Japanese J-League season recently came to an end, and the video below is hardly new, Tokyo Times has never been terribly topical, so it’s worth a look anyway.

Plus, as well as being very funny, it is a commercial promoting Ajinomoto stadium — the home of FC Tokyo, and somewhat less famously, the location for this site’s decidedly long in the tooth top of the page banner. Which, unlike the promo, is lacking somewhat on the lady front.

Enjoy.

Jul 10 2006 2 Comments

Bauer’s bother

Whilst wrangling with all manner of wrong-doers in his U.S. based adventures, 24’s Jack Bauer faces a far sterner task in Japan — furiously fending off silly at best ‘storylines’ plus at the same time being force-fed disgusting dietary snacks.

Yet having manfully manoeuvred himself through the women-only carriage of a commuter train in an earlier escapade, our hero has now been set an even tougher task — politely turning down his side-kick’s kind offer of a souvenir whilst at the same time running for a helicopter, and, it goes without saying, enjoying a noticeable nibble of his favourite foodstuff.

Click the image to see how Jack fares, perhaps pausing briefly to marvel at the presumably massive sums of money used to seduce Mr. Sutherland.

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