BANZAI! Why TV Rules in Japan

America loves its game shows. From “The Price is Right” to “Jeopardy” to “Family Feud” they have, in a way, brought us closer together.

Game shows have taught us to care about complete strangers. We cheer them on as they grapple with everything from useless trivia to big dudes wearing spandex. We watch with joy as families celebrate brand new fondue sets and shiny cars, because their victories are our victories too, their failures, our own.

And despite a nationwide game show obsession stretching decades long, there’s no doubt that some of the most outrageous and inventive game shows have only been released in the last few years. Today’s best game shows are bigger, badder and far more creative than their predecessors, but they’re not being shot on a lot in Los Angeles. In fact, they’re not even filmed in English.

Starting as far back as the 1980s, Japanese television has seemingly taken our ball and ran with it, churning out a slew of game shows that range from plain weird to straight out sadistic. If “Fear Factor” and “The Chamber” (does anyone else remember that show?) seem intense, you’re just not watching the right channels.

Iron Chef

When “Iron Chef” premiered on Japanese television in 1993, it transformed cooking from a household chore to a full contact sport and provided a new TV favorite for late night American audiences. The show, which was remade by the Food Network in 2005 with American chefs, brings professional cooks to Kitchen Stadium (read: the set) for a dramatic battle to see “whose cuisine reigns supreme.”

The concept is simple: a challenger faces off against one of three or four resident Iron Chefs, so named because of their formidable culinary skills. Each chef has one hour to prepare a meal of four or five courses that features a special ingredient, which much be used in each dish. But the chef’s can’t search cookbooks or consult recipes. The special ingredient is revealed to them just seconds before competition begins, and with only the tools in front of them and their culinary know-how Kitchen Stadium’s professionals must craft a menu that is both quick and delicious enough to impress a panel of celebrity judges.

While boiling, baking and sautéing may not seem the stuff of heated (pun intended) competition, Japanese “Iron Chef’s” unexpected intensity and comedic dubbing in English makes it a classic and well-loved game show. From the dramatic introduction that begins each episode to the drum-rolled announcing of the winner, the show is strangely hypnotizing. Takeshi Kaga, the host and “chairman” of the show, has a flamboyant demeanor and penchant for bell peppers that adds a flavor of eccentricity, but the real stars of “Iron Chef” are the skilled chefs and the enticing dishes they manage to stir up, all in an hour or less.

Takeshi’s Castle

Not to be confused with Iron Chef’s Takeshi Kaga, "Takeshi’s Castle" is one of those shows that after watching it makes you think, “what the hell was that?” If you took American Gladiators and moved it to Japan, added about a hundred people and kicked the cheese factor up a few notches, you’d be left with "Takeshi’s Castle."

The show’s basic premise involves a series of ridiculous physical challenges that participants must pass in order to proceed to the next level. It’s really amazing what these contestants, armed only with a helmet and their pride, are willing to put themselves through. Often the games involve acrobatics, tackling large objects and jumping from platform to platform, like a giant live-action video game. Some of them are silly (clinging to a giant swinging mushroom to get from one platform to another) while others are straight out dangerous (swinging from a rope, Tarzan style, into a solid wall). Either way, the results are hilarious, if not a little worrying.

The show was dubbed into English and can still be seen today on Spike TV under the name Most Extreme Elimination Challenge on Thursday and Friday nights.

SASUKE

Translated as "Ninja Warrior" in English, "SASUKE" is an obstacle course themed show that vaguely resembles Navy Seal training. Contestants must pass through four stages of obstacle courses, each one stranger and more difficult than the one before. Although the contestants are alone on the course and don’t have to worry about other players interrupting their progress, if at any point they fall off the course, they are immediately disqualified.

Now, “obstacle course” may sound like a fun test of dexterity using tires, ropes and a jungle gym or two, but the level of physical ability required to pass even the first level of "SASUKE" is extraordinary. Some of the obstacles that contestants face can only be described as pure evil.

In fact, participants take the event so seriously that some actually build homemade replicas of the course in their backyards to practice on. Often it’s these competitors that get the farthest in the game.

Sasuke has run in Japan since 1997, and out of thousands of participants over the years, only two have managed to master the fourth and final stage, a towering 74-foot straight vertical climb that must be completed in 30 seconds. The final course has been redesigned twice. "SASUKE" is currently being broadcast on G4 weeknights at 6:30 and 10:30.

And much more....the tip of the katana (sword)

It’s highly unlikely that stateside viewers will ever see on television the full repertoire of twisted and hilarious programming that Japan has to offer, but fortunately for us, there’s YouTube.

A quick survey of YouTube’s Japanese television clips reveals a whole bunch of videos from a show called "Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende." Seriously. While you may not be able to pronounce the name of this popular variety show, you’ll certainly be able to scratch your head and laugh at the various games cast members have to endure for the sake of your enjoyment. There are no prizes, and the whole thing is done in front of a live studio audience. Why? We’re not really sure.

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