January 1st: I watched a lot of TV
January 1st: I watched a lot of TV
New Year's day, and most of the country is shut down; it will slowly reopen over the next few days, but in that respect, I didn't pick the greatest part of the year to come, because the whole country is in holiday mode, and everybody is getting back together with their families.
So I took to watching some Japanese television, but this time I had some translation, so I knew what was going on.
The snapshots below are from a program that airs weakly and is apparently famous for it's shock value. A lot of Japanese television is based on a "what would you do" concept. But it's usually not for money; just exposure.
Anyways I could go on and on, but I really don't have the time to type that I thought I would. That bullet train is so damn fast!
So this guy below agreed to be left naked in a bare room with just a lot of postcards and postage. He would be allowed to leave once he had earned ¥100,000 (about $1,000) worth of stuff, exclusively from write-in giveaways and contests.
And you thought "The Real World" was edgy???
He not only had to earn his food that way, but I don't think he ever really got any clothing, because after 11 months, he finally did reach the ¥100,000, but as you can see, he was still naked.
This is all the crap he won....
And the producers suprising him in the middle of the night, letting him know he hit the mark...
His first gift? A bowl of ramen.
Video revealed him using a pair of bailpens as a pair of chopsticks.
He was very hungry.
As the 2nd gift, they blindfolded him, and took him to Korea for Korean BBQ! He had wished for it in one of his journals. He must have eaten like a pauper for 11 months...
And promptly locked him up, to repeat the ¥100,000 feat, in Korea!!! Never mind the fact that he doesn't speak or write the Korean language.
The show host and ex-porn star Vivian Hsu commentate as they watch the live video of the poor soul in Korea.
The next segment of the show had two more aspiring comedians who were willing to propel a giant-sized floating duck by bicycle power up the coast of Japan.