I love Japanese comedy. Let me change that: I love good Japanese comedy. A lot of foreigners studying Japanese don’t see it my way, but that’s because there’s a lot of garbage out there. To be fair though, there is a lot of garbage in any country’s entertainment industry. Finding what’s both good and what you personally enjoy is key. Let’s take a look at … Continue reading →
I don’t think I’ve ever once talked about Japanese podcasts on this site. They exist, and they exist in abundance. I have my favorites, and I tend to stick with them. I’m quite picky with my podcasts; they have to be interesting, high quality, contain unique information, and match my interests exactly. I recently introduced you to what variety shows I was watching right now. Next … Continue reading →
You need more variety show recommendations? Well here they are! These are 8 shows that I currently love and watch whenever I get the chance. 8. ワールドビジネスサテライト (World Business Satellite) Japanese Level: ☆☆☆☆☆ This is more of a news shows than a variety a show, but for some reason it does everything right. It’s rarely boring, the reporters have really engaging personalities, and they somehow take serious topics … Continue reading →
1. バナナマン (Banana Man) Japanese Level: ☆☆ Buy on Amazon If you’ve ever watched some amount of variety shows, you’ve probably seen these two. They are especially popular with foreigners because they host the Japanese show with the most foreigners on TV, YOUは何しに日本へ？You have the taller (?) cool guy, Shitara Osamu on the left, whose name you will probably have trouble remembering. You have the unforgettable face of … Continue reading →
I recently talked about how you have to find the Japanese TV you like among a sea of TV you don’t like. I’ve tried to give you faith in Japanese TV. But maybe you still are not convinced of its creativity, innovation and forward thinking. Let’s talk about one of the most unique TV shows that has broken through new levels of imagination. マツコとマツコ (Matsuko & … Continue reading →
It’s always impressive when a foreigner makes it onto the Japanese entertainment scene, especially the comedy circuit. 厚切りジェイソン, or “Thickly-Sliced” Jason, has been making waves on Japanese TV over the past few months. Jason, an American, learned Japanese just like all of you did, and came to Japan in 2011 to work in the IT industry. He fell in love with Japanese comedy many years … Continue reading →
When you think about the type of person you want to take to feature on a major variety show, who would be your first choice? You want someone that would stand out, has a unique story to tell, and the audience can relate with. And so a strange B-class celebrity was born: 桐谷さん (Kiritani-san). I’ve mentioned him briefly before, as he made his debut on … Continue reading →
Ever been asked out of nowhere, “how do you say that in English?” or “how do you say that in Japanese?” That unnatural translation request moment. Being pressured, with shaken confidence, and resulting hilarity? There was an old variety show (からくりテレビ) that had a segment of a fluent Japanese foreigner talent going around asking for interesting mini-stories from Japanese people through on the spot street … Continue reading →
