Where I talk about the purpose of this blog...

JAPAN...

...where people look for dragon balls

...where people run away from Godzilla

...where people play baseball

...where people have kinky sex with others (real or animated)

I am sure the list of stereotypes can go on.

The purpose of this blog is to go against one of such stereotypes:

Japanese Game Shows

In recent years, America has found a place in the media for Japanese game shows.
One of the first was the Most Extreme Elimination Challenge, or MXC.

As MXC gained popularity and people became more interested, there was a YouTube sensation called the human tetris.

And finally, America (specifically ABC) has created their own "Japanese game show" called I Survived A Japanese Game Show.

In my opinion, there exists a misunderstanding when I look at the audiences of these game shows in America.  What does not translate in this Japanese game show trend/popularity is the history and the art of Japanese comedy.  The participants in the game shows are comedians, or owarai geinin (literally, comedy entertainers or entertainers who make people laugh), and they deliberately engage in ridiculous acts to make the audience laugh.

Comedy in Japan is part of every day life; one cannot watch a television show in Japan without encountering Japanese comedians, whether the show is a drama, a variety, or a comedy.  These comedians make up one of the largest sectors of the Japanese entertainment industry along with actors and musicians.  Not only is the history of Japanese comedy rich and deep, the history of each owarai geinin is also filled with fascinating stories.  I hope that this blog will bring new respect for the owarai (comedy) culture of Japan to the audiences of the Japanese game shows as portrayed in the American media.