was a
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
TV show
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed bet ...
that was broadcast weekly from 1998 to 2002 on
TBS.
It consisted of two panels: One was a group of
Japanese celebrities {{Short description, none
Yuta Nakamoto, This is an incomplete list of tarento, Japanese celebrities (''geinōjin'', 芸能人).
Comedians
*Akashiya Sanma
*Shinya Arino, Arino Shinya
*Tamori
*Kitano Takeshi
*Hamada Masatoshi
*Masaru Hamaguchi, Hama ...
notably consisting of
Takeshi Kitano
is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...
,
Konishiki
Saleva'a Fuauli Atisano'e (born December 31, 1963), professionally known as is an American former sumo wrestler. Franz LidzMeat Bomb, 05.18.92 - ''Sports Illustrated'' He was the first non-Japanese-born wrestler to reach '' ōzeki'', the secon ...
, Rui Ramos and
Terry Ito
, better known as , is a Japanese director, television producer, critic, and writer. His name "Terry" comes from his first name, "Teruo". His ancestral home is in Yokoshibahikari, Sanbu District, Chiba Prefecture.
Ito served as the president o ...
. The other panel was a pool of 100 Japanese-speaking expatriates from around the world voicing, in Japanese, their grievances about their treatment in Japan. From this panel
Zomahoun Idossou Rufin or "Number 68" as he was called on the show because of his designated panel number, became a popular
foreign celebrity due to his anger on a number of subjects that caused him to talk much faster than native Japanese speakers. The show was unique as it was a departure from the way foreigners are traditionally used on Japanese television that instead of being glorified non-talking set pieces, they could converse and articulate in conjunction with Japanese
tarento
Television personalities in Japan, known as in Japanese, are celebrities who regularly appear in mass media in Japan, especially as panelists on variety shows. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, bankable stars in America were described as " ...
.
The show was also a jumpboard for several of the regular Japanese panelists; at least three of them later pursued successful careers as politicians:
*
Mizuho Fukushima
is a Japanese politician, attorney. A native of Nobeoka, Miyazaki, she has been a member of the House of Councillors since 1998, was re-elected in 2004 and 2010,
and was the head of the Social Democratic Party of Japan (SDP), from 2003 to 2013. ...
, Chairwoman of the
Social Democratic Party
The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology.
Active parties
Fo ...
and Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety, Social Affairs and Gender Equality (2009-2010)
*
Hideo Higashikokubaru
is a Japanese politician. He originally rose to fame as a comedian and actor under the stage name , and was known for his role in the popular game show ''Takeshi's Castle''.
He served as the Governor of Miyazaki Prefecture from 2007 to 2011, re ...
, governor of
Miyazaki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Miyazaki Prefecture has a population of 1,073,054 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 7,735 Square kilometre, km2 (2,986 sq mi). Miyazaki Prefecture borders ...
(2007-2011) and
*
Yōichi Masuzoe
is a Japanese politician who was elected to the position of governor of Tokyo in 2014 and resigned in June 2016 due to the misuse of public funds. He was previously a member of the Japanese House of Councillors and the Japanese Minister of Heal ...
, former
Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (from 2007 to 2009), and former
Governor of Tokyo
The is the head of government of Tokyo.
In 1943, upon the unification of Tokyo City and Tokyo Prefecture, the position of Governor was created. The current title was adopted in 1947 due to the enactment of the Local Autonomy Law.
Overview
The ...
(2014-2016)
1998 Japanese television series debuts
2002 Japanese television series endings
1990s Japanese television series
2000s Japanese television series
Japanese variety television shows
TBS Television (Japan) original programming
Takeshi Kitano
{{Japan-tv-prog-stub