A first-year university student who came to Tokyo from Kumamoto.
Where are you from?
I'm from Kumamoto.
Want to visit shops or see what’s popular in Tokyo?
I'm really clueless about such things too.
- Is that so? - Yeah.
I’m pure, you see.
Do you know about things like malatang?
Mala... what?
Malatang.
I don't know about malatang.
I wonder what that is... malatang?
- It's delicious. - Oh, is it food?
She didn't know that?
Did you think it wasn't food?
What did you think it was?
I thought...
The late night begins.
In this program,
we poke our noses
into various topics
being talked about around the world...
or sometimes, we don't.
Staying up late on Mondays...
Monday Late Show.
Welcome, everyone.
Thank you for coming.
SHINGO MURAKAMI
And now, here is tonight's lineup.
This week, we interviewed people who just moved
to Tokyo this spring.
When is it that grandpas
and grandmas burst out laughing?
We explored such simple questions.
We also investigated local issues
from around Japan.
That’s our three stories tonight!
The segment of interviewing people who moved
to Tokyo this spring.
Let’s get started.
April, when the cherry blossoms bloom.
Many people come to Tokyo chasing their dreams
and a fresh start.
Therefore, as usual,
we tried interviewing the people
who moved to Tokyo this spring.
Let's start with a university student
from Oita. It's his second day in Tokyo.
It’s so shocking you wonder
if it’s the same country.
You know, Oita is really rural.
Honestly, I’m anxious about whether I can live here.
He is not sure he can live here.
What do you want to do in Tokyo?
I want to go to Saizeriya.
No Saizeriya in Oita?
There wasn't one
until recently.
What's your favorite food there?
The only thing I’ve ever heard of is the "Milan-style Doria".
Spicy chicken?
Do they have that?
- It's 300 yen. - 300 yen?!
That reaction was priceless.
In this day and age, are there actually places that cheap?
What about Milan-style Doria?
- Do you know its price? - Well, it's Doria after all.
We're talking about Doria.
It should cost at least 700 yen.
Milan-style Doria
- is 300 yen. - What?
It's 300 yen.
‎That was a fast reaction!
Are the ingredients real?
Next is the university student who moved to Tokyo from Aomori.
Now that you're here, what do you think about Tokyo?
The wind is really strong.
Does the wind blow strangely,
because of the tall buildings?
This doesn't happen at all in Aomori.
The wind blows strangely in Tokyo.
The convenience stores...
Are you all right?
That's totally fine.
- Are you okay? - I'm okay.
So much wind, so many people...
And there’s a smell.
Tokyo is dangerous, after all.
Next are these guys we found on Takeshita Street.
- Where are you guys from? - We're from Aomori.
Actually, we arrived yesterday.
Today, it's our first time here on Takeshita Street.
- The crowd swept us away. - It's insane.
How about the food here?
Yesterday, we thought we’d go to Ichiran since there isn’t one in Aomori.
We went there
and there was a 90-minute wait,
so we ended up in a Hidakaya.
They also wanted to try other food.
I'd like to try yukhoe.
I want to try eating raw meat.
We don't have that in Aomori.
I think you can find it in yakiniku restaurants.
- But I'm scared to go in there. - Really?
In this city, you've even got places like the second basement floor, you know?
I'm a bit uneasy about just going there.
He's still scared of basement shops.
- Where was Hidakaya? - Ground floor.
We could see the whole place through the glass.
It was reassuring.
Next are these two guys
who moved to Tokyo from Iwate.
Look over there. You can't see Bic Camera.
It's blocked by the building.
I think that's pretty amazing.
In my hometown, even Aeon mall is only two stories.
- Aeon is only two stories? - Yeah.
It's pretty easy to spot, like, "Oh, that's Aeon."
But when I'm here,
I don't know where anything is.
We asked them what else surprised them in Tokyo.
There are many chain restaurants.
I went to Kura Sushi.
The seared cheese salmon at Kura Sushi
was delicious.
That's because Kura Sushi is amazing.
Next,
a guy who moved to Tokyo from Hiroshima.
Why did you come to Shinjuku today?
I want to buy some books.
I'd like to go to...
Was it called "Kikuni Bookstore"?
Kikuniya Bookstore. I want to go there.
That's probably Kinokuniya.
I heard it's a pretty big place.
I want to study a wide range of subjects. That's why I want
to go to Kikuniya Bookstore.
It's Ki... Kikuniya Bookstore, right?
Huh?
Isn't it called Kikuniya Bookstore?
It's "Kinokuniya."
That much of a blow?
Um... Please wait.
- Can we do another take? - Really?
Next, a pair of vocational school students
in Shinjuku.
I used to come to Tokyo all the time
back when I was in Kochi.
It’s like, yeah, it’s just Tokyo.
She's totally used to Tokyo now.
Do you recognize this building?
It's NEWoMAn.
What about that one?
That one's LUMINE2.
I can read whatever you've got.
What about that one?
I guess that's OIOI.
Whoa.
It's either OIOI or 0101.
It's called Marui.
Marui Marui?
Next, two people who moved to Tokyo from Fukui.
I'm constantly looking up.
- The planes fly so low. - The planes.
No planes in Fukui?
We do see them,
- but they fly so high up. - Wow.
- They fly low in Tokyo. - It's thrilling.
The planes fly low in Tokyo
and it's thrilling.
- We've seen them six times, right? - Oh, look!
- It’s flying so low. - It’s huge.
- That's crazy low! - That's low, for sure.
That makes seven.
- That makes nine! - That makes nine!
- Oh yeah! - "Oh yeah"?
Total luck boost!
Next, these two from Ibaraki
who moved to Tokyo a week ago.
Today... Where was it?
DayDay. was filming an interview
near Hachiko at the Scramble Crossing.
Do you find that exciting?
It's exciting.
80% of the interviews in Ibaraki
are for Iba-roku.
There's a show called Iba-roku that starts at 6:00.
Do you want to meet any celebrities?
Like, would that be exciting for you too?
- Of course, that'd be exciting. - Yeah.
If you had to pick one, who would you meet?
Does a mid-tier one count?
- A mid-tier one? - Who is it?
- It's Akiko Wada. - What?
That's hard to react to.
Akiko Wada? Why?
On the other hand, this young man says...
The person I want to meet
is Centaur Kenta.
Who is he?
He's a fashion influencer.
Centaur Kenta is the person
who got me interested in clothes.
I think it's pretty cool
that he has his own brand.
I'd love to meet him.
And then...
That's right.
- There are so many people, right? - That's right.
Huh?
It's amazing.
Isn't that Centaur Kenta?
- What? - Over there.
- Centaur Kenta! - Hurry.
Really?
He's the real deal.
This is crazy!
- I was just saying I wanted to meet you. - For real?
- I'm Centaur Kenta. - What?
Who?
Since we're here, I'll give him something.
This is incredible!
This is a new item from...
Awesome!
- ...my own brand. It's not out yet. - Amazing!
- I'll give it to him. - Huh?
- Same red cap on both. - He can have it.
I don't know what to say.
I'm glad I lived to experience this moment.
That was really amazing.
Next, a woman at an art school entrance ceremony.
Where are you from?
I'm from Kumamoto.
The art school was full of beautiful women.
That made me want to be more beautiful.
I’ll try my best.
Back in Kumamoto, I used to wear
whatever my mom bought me.
She's so pure. I'm really envious.
That's how it was.
I was really...
- You didn't know much about it? - Yeah.
From now on,
I'd like to make lots of friends at art school
and I want them to drag me around.
Want to visit shops
or see what’s popular in Tokyo?
I'm really clueless about such things too.
Is that so?
Yeah. I’m pure, you see.
Do you know about things like malatang?
Mala... what?
Malatang.
I don't know about malatang.
I wonder what that is... malatang?
It was nominated for a Buzzword Award.
Is that so?
I didn't know that.
- It's delicious. - Oh, is it food?
She didn't know that?
Did you think it wasn't food?
What did you think it was?
Something like phlegm getting tangled up.
Like, phlegm getting all tangled up with Mahler.
Next, people who moved to Tokyo from Hyogo.
A trio who just finished their University of Tokyo entrance ceremony.
We’re from a boys’ school.
Just seeing
schoolgirls on the commute made us go "Yes!"
It was that bad.
- Back in high school? - Yeah.
After the results came out,
we started watching YouTube videos
about how to talk to women and what to talk about.
Like, "Don’t talk about baseball
or soccer."
Wow.
We'll walk around Shibuya
to find topics that we can talk about.
For that, I even went to have some malatang.
We've got the ideal partner for you.
Next,
a mother we met after her son’s entrance ceremony.
She's worried about something.
He was in an all-boys middle and high school.
He doesn't know how to deal with girls.
I feel like they'll just pull away from him.
Did you talk to any girls in middle or high school?
Not really.
No one except his family.
I was only talking to my sister.
But that’s not what you’re asking about.
She’s worried he can’t handle talking to women.
I want him to choose
a girl with a kind heart, not beautiful looks.
Looks deteriorate as you age.
I don't want him to be fooled by looks.
- How were the girls you saw today? - The level was high.
Is that the level of their kind-heartedness?
No, I mean their looks.
I don't think he has standards yet.
I think he finds them pretty
as long as they’re biologically female.
And this 18-year-old guy from Aichi.
I want to get a girlfriend here.
I’ve never had one.
How can you get a girlfriend?
I think clothing is important.
I want to try harder than I did in Nagoya.
What's the highlight of your outfit today?
This top is something I got from my father.
It's like 30 years old.
When I tried it on, it felt like my style.
He wants to get a girlfriend wearing his dad's sweatshirt.
Is it good? Can I check?
What brand is it?
I see. It's Converse.
I was surprised when I heard it was Converse.
I thought they only made shoes.
After moving to Tokyo, he discovered a new side of Converse.
It seems like this guy from Okinawa
has things to do in Tokyo.
I’ve been wanting to try some boba.
I've been saying that.
We're going for real now.
- Is that so? - Yeah.
They’re going to a boba place for real.
- That one? - Ah, yeah.
It's this one.
After waiting 15 minutes in line...
They bought it,
-but something feels off. - What happened?
I thought I ordered boba,
but there’s no boba in it.
Aren't those just potato dumplings?
What's that?
I tried it before.
They found out the restaurant is run by a Chinese owner.
The shop staff told me
to order in Chinese if I wanted it for free.
When we did, this appeared.
What was in the drink
wasn't boba.
They were dumplings
called "Yuyuan" made from rolled taro.
And I was so looking forward to this today...
My mind was full of boba during the entrance ceremony.
Next,
a university student from Ishikawa seems to have gotten into trouble.
Right after I arrived, I went to a mountain
near Kanagawa
and got bitten by a snake. Here.
The one on your left?
That's right. It's swollen.
As soon as he moved to Tokyo, he was bitten by a snake.
I was with a friend.
You were with a friend?
I said, "Look, there's a snake!"
I caught it like this.
- I opened my mouth. - What?
It got me good.
I was hospitalized for a few days.
You were even hospitalized?
- I have a photo. - From when you were bitten?
I regret it.
And next, this young lady is worried about something.
Cleaning the room.
I've always left the cleaning to my mother, so...
She can't do it at all.
She can’t clean up after eating.
She can't clean the drain.
She's like, "What's this?"
She says, "It's scary."
But I taught her everything.
I taught her how to run a washing machine.
I taught her how to empty
the vacuum cleaner.
I haven’t learned that yet.
Oh, I haven’t taught you that yet?
I didn't know.
Did you think the dirt inside just disappears?
I guess so.
Next, this young lady who moved to Tokyo from Iwate.
How was your first week in Tokyo?
I thought there weren’t enough Shohei Ohtani posters around.
She feels lonely because there aren’t enough Ohtani posters.
How many did you see?
Only one every ten meters.
Whether I go to a dentist or a restaurant,
I always see, "Keep it up, Ohtani!"
We went to the same swimming school.
Did you swim in the same water?
Next, a Nagoya native in Tokyo,
just back from the entrance ceremony.
Among the popular places
in Tokyo,
the first place I went to
was probably the National Diet Library.
He moved to Tokyo and visited the National Diet Library.
I'm a fan of professional sumo wrestling.
I read some old magazines there.
As I was reading the information
about former sumo wrestlers,
they even included their parents' names,
which wouldn't be included today because of privacy.
I read about places like Oahu, Hawaii.
I found out such interesting things.
He's curious about their hometowns.
Want a quick quiz on where sumo wrestlers are from?
That would be too easy for me.
Onosato?
Tsubata Town, Kahoku District, Ishikawa Prefecture.
- Takayasu? - Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
Ichiyamamoto?
This one's pretty unusual.
Iwanai Town, Iwanai District, Hokkaido.
- Chiyoshoma? - Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Aonishiki?
Vinnytsia, Ukraine.
Kotozakura?
Kotozakura.
His father is from Obanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture.
His grandfather was a Yokozuna
from Kurayoshi City, Tottori Prefecture.
Wow...
His father runs a sumo stable,
Sadogatake Stable, in Matsudo City, Chiba Prefecture.
Since he grew up there,
Matsudo City is treated as his official birthplace.
Impressive.
What should he do with a talent like this?
And next...
Where are you from?
Nara Prefecture.
Are you guys twins?
Yes, we are.
Sorry, but which one of you is older?
I'm the older brother.
We're identical twins.
Why are you here today?
We're here for the entrance ceremony of Tokyo University.
- You both got into Tokyo University? - That's right.
That's incredible.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
The twins got into Tokyo University.
- I'm in Humanities III. - Humanities III, huh?
And I'm in Humanities I.
- Oh, so that's not the same. - Yeah.
Will you live together?
- No, we will live separately. - Separately.
Living together wouldn't work
with our different class schedules.
It also creates a gap in our daily routines.
That's why we've decided to live separately.
You're wearing a red tie and he's wearing blue.
We wanted to look a bit different.
Your glasses, too.
Yeah.
We’ve worn different glasses
since middle school.
It's just a difference in taste.
Was there a friendly rivalry between you two?
Yes, there was.
He was always ahead of me.
I was always like, "Wow, that's amazing."
But in the end, it was all right.
We were just happy that we both got accepted.
Next, a man who moved
to Tokyo from Niigata.
I went to Shinjuku.
Of course, you can't compare Kabukicho to Niigata.
It's relatively normal around the Shinjuku station,
but men have longer hairlines at the nape of the neck.
Going to Kabukicho from Shinjuku station?
Yeah. As I go, I notice more men have longer hairline
at the nape of the neck.
When you go to Kabukicho from Shinjuku station,
the hairline at the nape gets longer.
Everyone walking around the town,
has a longer hairline at the nape, split in the center.
I don't like that.
- You don't like that? - No, I don't. It's unpleasant.
Ma'am, your son isn't any better either.
Next, a young man who attended his university entrance ceremony.
- Where are you from? - I'm from Miyazaki.
- Miyazaki? - Yeah.
He's in post-op recovery, sorry!
You're his mother?
I had eye surgery for my new university life.
- I'm in post-op recovery. - So please don't film him.
That's enough. Don't do that.
I had eye fat removed.
It's covered by insurance, so it's not plastic surgery.
- So you're in post-op recovery. - Yeah.
But you look completely normal.
- You look cool. - You're laughing!
- Ssh! - No. Huh?
PERSONAL PREFERENCE
No one would have noticed if his mom didn't say it.
It looks normal.
Look, he's laughing!
Geez, that's enough!
First, he needs to fit into Tokyo.
He's hiding his accent, so people won't look down on him.
Miyazaki dialect?
So that it doesn't slip out.
Don't put me on the spot.
He says he's had enough.
Now it's time for our Moms and Dads Letting Loose Series.
A mother and daughter from Fukushima is here
for tomorrow's entrance ceremony.
When did you get here?
- Today. We got here today. - Really?
Anything you want to try in Tokyo?
Tokyo feels like the place for romantic
- encounters. - They're alike.
Like parties with male
and female students from different universities.
So I want to experience
- the exciting stuff - Honesty in front of her mom.
- that I can't find in Fukushima. - She's hyped.
The daughter is totally hyped.
There are so many handsome guys in Tokyo.
I notice them as I walk.
- Her mom's grinning. - I see handsome guys.
Even store employees are handsome.
- This may not be good. - Handsome guys everywhere.
I'm sorry about her.
Maybe I didn't raise her properly.
A parent and her child.
The mother is so energetic.
Why did you move to Tokyo?
If she didn’t leave for university,
she’d end up staying in Ibaraki forever.
So I told her, "You definitely should go,"
and gave her a good push in that direction.
Is there anything you want to do in Tokyo?
There's nothing in particular.
It was probably her mother who wanted to move to Tokyo.
Maybe you want to have a boyfriend here,
or get a part time job?
I don't think so.
My poor girl.
"My poor girl"?!
Look at the child I’ve raised.
The mother's more thrilled.
That's just the way I am.
She has no desires.
Don’t you want to go to any place in Tokyo?
Not really.
Because we already went to see a place?
Yeah.
FROM IBARAKI
We went to the Pokémon Center.
And here we have a father who is just as energetic.
What's your dream?
I want to go abroad and study business,
and work in various places using English.
So that he can become Ohtani’s interpreter.
It's show time!
- That's enough. - Shohei Ohtani.
Shohei time!
A father getting carried away by Tokyo.
This is a rare family name.
It's Ado.
What? Shove it!
You’re embarrassing our family.
I’ll lose face at the university.
That concludes our segment
on interviewing people who moved to Tokyo.
I totally get it.
I hate it when Mom gets all hyper.
Although I do understand how his mother feels too.
Even I thought they were
kind of cute.
They were cute.
That reaction to Saizeriya's
300 yen price...
Can you guys react like that?
Milan-style Doria
- is 300 yen. - What?
It's 300 yen.
Are the ingredients real?
And Ms. Malatang.
- It's delicious. - Oh, is it food?
What did you think it was?
Something like
phlegm getting tangled up.
Like, phlegm getting all tangled up with Mahler.
That kind of misunderstanding is so hilarious.
The part where she
called herself "pure" didn't sit right with me.
...Or see what’s popular in Tokyo?
I'm really clueless about such things too.
- Is that so? - Yeah.
I’m pure, you see.
The mid-tier
is Akiko Wada.
What’s on either side?
Who's at the top and the bottom?
The top
is Yamapi.
And the bottom?
The bottom
is Sawabe from Haraichi.
That was broadcast-worthy!
All right, the next part is...
Next, we explored simple questions.
Yes, let's watch.
We asked about things you might wonder about,
but not enough to really investigate.
Monday Late Show, seeking answers to simple questions.
Our first simple question is...
When is it that grandpas and grandmas burst out laughing?
I haven't laughed this much all year.
- Jump. - Jump.
Matsuko's biggest laugh of the year
is this EMS training.
Don't stop, please. Only ten seconds left.
We showed this video
to elderly people.
Hang in there.
Ten seconds passed.
Don't forget to breathe.
Oh man.
These elderly people didn't even smile.
Ten seconds passed.
Don't forget to breathe.
The electricity is placed around here?
Yes. They apply it to the body.
There's a program around
8:00 in the morning, that plays around with...
Is that called a shock chair? They’re using it to prank people.
I just wonder if it's bad for the body.
That's why I change the channel
whenever I come across that on TV.
Electricity stuff doesn't make her laugh.
Then what about animal stuff?
‎AAAA!
So nostalgic.
This one's a classic.
We'll try it out with Keiji the Siamang
who makes a middle-aged man–like cry.
This is the famous cry.
Oh, there he is.
That's it.
That's the sound it makes?
It does sound like a middle-aged man screaming.
That's all?
How about content with elderly people?
We showed them Mr. Kiritani eating.
What do you think?
This is funny.
This is a bit...
It's fun.
This one's funny.
It's a funny video.
We showed them lots of stuff,
but they only liked Mr. Kiritani.
We asked
elderly people what recently made them burst into laughter.
First, an 84-year-old lady.
Was there anything that made you burst into laughter recently?
I tend to forget even those now.
You forget?
Anything made you laugh lately?
I'm laughing right now.
Because you can't remember?
Yeah. It's making me laugh.
She laughs at herself.
This old man
seems to collect images that make him burst into laughter.
Isn't this funny?
If you translate "Ginza" into English... It's "Silver Seat."
- Is that funny? - Yes, it is.
And this 80-year-old lady.
What makes you burst into laughter?
Watching baseball makes me laugh.
Baseball?
When I'm watching sports.
She laughs watching baseball.
How about comedy shows?
I don't watch those.
I don't find them funny.
They are trying too hard.
But everyone acts naturally when playing sports.
- Watching sports makes you laugh? - Of course.
Mr. Tatsukawa from Hiroshima.
- He pretends to get hit by a pitch. - Yeah.
A classic from 40 years ago.
And as we were asking questions, one opinion was quite common.
Was there anything that made you burst into laughter recently?
No.
Lately, there aren’t any funny celebrities around.
Is that so?
Even if I watch TV, nothing makes me laugh.
I see.
And among them was a man who was even angry.
Today's comedy shows are so boring.
Is that so?
I especially hate when they do that.
I want to say this.
You know, on your TV channel,
there's that small thing...
What's that called?
- Reaction cam. - Reaction cam?
That small window. You know...
that thing gets in the way.
And even worse,
that person in the reaction cam
keeps talking in an annoying way.
I really hate that.
He hates the reaction cam.
Just let me watch normally.
That gets in your way?
It gets in the way,
and I don't need your friggin' comments.
Just let me watch normally.
I want to be able to see the screen.
- You just want to watch the video? - Yeah.
"Looks delicious."
"Looks fun."
"So happy."
Just two-word comments.
What's with that?
Who needs something like that?
I really, really hate it!
You know, that's why I do this to my TV.
You know, there’s someone on each side.
So I hang tissues
on each side.
You hide them with tissues?
- Yes, I hide them. - Amazing.
The next simple question is...
Do acupuncturists give themselves acupuncture?
Do acupuncturists
give themselves acupuncture?
Of course we do.
You do?
I do it two to three times a week.
Acupuncture is truly amazing.
It works incredibly quickly.
When I do things like leg training
I'll just strip down
and do it like this.
I do acupuncture on myself.
On my neck, my face and so on.
But you can't see it--
I just do it randomly even if I can't see it.
Randomly?
Your own body is your practice board.
So before doing acupuncture on my patients,
I try it on myself.
I do it on myself.
You do it?
I do it excessively.
Acupuncture
is pretty expensive, you know.
But I'm doing it for free.
Doing it himself since it’s free.
And this is how the experts do acupuncture on themselves.
Nice to meet you.
This expert, too.
I do it on myself too.
How often do you do it?
I guess it's less than once a week.
Is it really effective?
It certainly is.
Since I mostly get people who say that bone setting,
chiropractic, or massage didn't work for them.
What used to be once a week
becomes once every two to three weeks,
then once every one to two months,
and eventually,
there are even those who "graduate."
That is my goal.
Then why didn’t these experts themselves "graduate"?
Doesn't that mean you don't have to use it anymore?
Well...
Still, you see...
As long as I'm alive, there will be some physical pain.
It's not like it's a necessity for me.
Then why don't you just stop doing it?
I mean, um...
Sometimes...
Sometimes I actually need to do it.
I'm only human, so of course I get stiff muscles too.
I get stiff muscles too. But I actually don't.
But you just said you get stiff muscles.
Not stiff muscles,
but I do have some pain sometimes.
You'll see how effective it is
if you give it a try.
Next simple question.
How do people from around the world draw their own national flag?
Japan's national flag is very simple and easy to draw.
But how do people draw national flags that have difficult designs?
- I'm from Brazil. - First, we asked a Brazilian woman.
The sphere in the middle
expresses the blue sky that was seen
from Rio de Janeiro at the moment of the declaration of the republic.
It's a pretty difficult design.
Please show it to the camera.
What do you think?
She even wrote the Portuguese text in the middle correctly.
I couldn't draw our flag properly.
As a Brazilian, I feel embarrassed.
Even though it's complex,
she's still embarrassed that she can’t draw her national flag.
Next is this guy.
That's pretty good.
What do you think is the most important part?
I think it's the text.
What does it mean?
Order and Progress.
When Brazil was founded,
"order and progress" were crucial.
You can't give up on "order and progress" when drawing their national flag.
People in Japan obey the rules, right?
Over there, people don't.
Next, this young man from Myanmar.
The star in the center stands out.
I see. So that's how you draw it.
And...
First, he paints it yellow, green and red.
Now the star...
Oh, what?
This is the star.
With your finger?
That's right.
Yeah...
- Yeah. - You tried to scrape the crayon off?
- That's right. - Can't you just
draw the star with a black crayon?
That won't do.
- Not acceptable? - That's right.
You must definitely draw the star in white.
I see.
Myanmar is a multi-ethnic nation.
The white star is a symbol signifying purity, integrity, and peace.
I see.
Next, a woman from Guatemala.
She’ll draw Guatemala’s flag, a Central American country.
It features crossed rifles for honor
and laurel for victory and peace,
along with a scroll bearing the date of independence
and a quetzal, the symbol of freedom.
GUATEMALA
So cute!
I focused on the bird as the important part.
I love this bird.
It's so cute!
The bird on the Guatemalan flag is cute.
I love animals.
You love animals?
Your favorite animal?
That's irrelevant!
Shrimp.
Next is Mexico, the neighboring country of Guatemala.
Design? What? I can't do that.
Just like Guatemala’s flag,
this flag also has a complex design in the middle.
It originates from an Aztec prophecy, "Found your capital
where you see an eagle on a cactus
- Wow, I didn't know that. - in the middle of a lake, eating a snake."
How is he going to draw that?
MEXICO
Here. This is kinda awful.
If you have no artistic talent, you can't draw it at all.
However, there seems to be a trick to drawing it.
You trace the coin?
So you're cheating?
And next, drawing the flag of the USA seemed to be really difficult.
The stars represent
the current number of U.S. states, and the red and white stripes
represent the original states at the time of independence.
52 STARS USA
He used a shortcut to express the stars.
By the way, the number of stars is 50.
Let's see how another American draws it.
I'll draw the stars here.
Everyone just draws a random number of stars.
Take a look.
At first glance, it looks correct, right?
But Japan's national flag
is easy to draw, and that's good.
For us foreigners,
we realize that the flag can even be replicated in a bento.
You can do it by putting a plum on rice.
It's too easy.
- The hinomaru bento? - That's right.
- Do you like it? - I like it.
You can't make a meal out of this, though.
He can't make a "Stars and Stripes" bento.
I've seen it in a TV drama.
Takako Tokiwa, or someone like her...
they made it
for a school project,
but I remember them saying
it looked gross and tasted bad.
It was probably The Ugly Duckling...
the one with Goro Kishitani.
His Japanese is incredibly good.
His Japanese is amazing.
How many years have you been here?
- I'm not living here. - What?
- Is that so? - I'm traveling.
This is my 50th time coming to Japan.
I learned Japanese by myself by watching
Japanese dramas and variety shows.
Amazing...
For example, in The Ugly Duckling,
Goro Kishitani was obsessed with Takako Tokiwa.
Her character's name was Masako,
but he'd always call her "Machako" in a gross way.
- You liked that TV drama? - Yeah.
- You really love Japan, huh? - Yeah.
Then what about your flag?
I forget it completely in like a second.
You forget?
If I make a mistake with this flag,
Mr. Trump might get mad at me.
Like, "Don't come back to my country again!"
He’s good at American jokes too.
What TV program is this?
It's called Monday Late Show.
- Matsuko's program? - That's right.
I appeared in December, too.
As "the guy who likes being stepped on." Do you remember?
You're the guy who likes being stepped on?
Yes, I'm the same person.
This is so surprising.
It must be fate.
We met him in Ikebukuro last year.
What are you doing right now?
I'm stepping on a masochist.
Is this a game?
Yes, it's a game.
He came to Japan to be stepped on.
I'm not living here.
I'm here as a tourist.
I’m from New York, USA.
That's wild.
Came from the USA to be stepped on?
That's right.
He said he likes Japanese girls.
He also likes thick soles.
- You also like loose socks, right? - Yeah.
What did you say?
Just hearing Japanese
makes me feel at peace.
- I'm so happy. - What about gratitude?
I'm so grateful to you.
Attaboy.
Thank you!
I see you're here in Takadanobaba as well.
Right now, to save on train fare
I've come from Ikebukuro and I'm walking all the way to Shibuya.
To get stepped on again?
I already did that a moment ago.
A moment ago?
Yeah, Ikebukuro is so much fun.
We met at the end of last year, is this your
first time back in Japan since then?
That's right. My "system" is to come every spring and fall.
For 28 years, it’s been spring and fall.
It's a bit difficult in summer and winter,
- you know. - I see.
So I came back here two weeks ago. I went home in November,
and now it’s my favorite season, spring again, so...
You'll keep getting stepped on?
This concludes the segment where we asked simple questions.
Next, the trouble at Murakami’s
Kindai graduation speech.
This happened some time ago.
I was invited to the Kindai University graduation ceremony
to give a speech.
And,
after I accepted the offer,
they told me not to tell anyone.
Then,
on the day
of the event,
I arrived at my hotel.
I was thinking about what to eat,
but I couldn't contact anyone.
Some of my friends own restaurants,
but whenever I go to one,
the moment I go,
someone tells Highheel Momoko 100% of the time.
So I decided to go to a soba restaurant
near the hotel. A place I'd never been to before.
It might sound conceited, but I put on a hat,
glasses, and a mask
before leaving the hotel.
I was being careful
just in case.
Then I ordered my soba, and when
they brought it,
it was extremely delicious,
so I ordered a second serving.
Zaru soba, you know.
Then, when they brought my second serving,
the waitress said,
"Thank you for ordering seconds.
Was it delicious?"
I said, "Yes, it was delicious!"
She said, "Oh?"
I'm serious.
Then she started bombarding me with questions.
It was quite something...
"Is it your first time here?"
"Yes, it's my first time here."
"How did you find us?"
"I found you on the internet."
Then she asked, "Where're you staying?"
"I can't say that!"
Now, let’s move on.
Let’s look at local issues from around Japan.
Let's watch.
It's time to look at local issues from around Japan.
Let's start with Chiba Prefecture.
The Nagareyama License Plate Issue.
Nagareyama City
is known for having one of the highest population growth rates in the country
and consistently ranking high in "most desirable places to live" surveys.
It has gained attention as the "Futako-Tamagawa of Chiba,"
and many people are relocating there.
Some of those who have relocated there are dissatisfied with certain aspects.
I moved to Nagareyama.
I thought it’d be a Nagareyama plate, but...
A Noda plate? What?
I was like, "Why?"
I’m still shocked about that.
I wish they’d make Nagareyama plates.
They should make them.
The issue of Nagareyama residents rejecting Noda license plates.
In fact,
since license plates are only issued
in Noda City,
residents of Nagareyama
have no choice but to use Noda license plates.
I guess there’s no helping it.
There's no Nagareyama license plate.
The "No" for "field" and the "da" for "rice paddy".
We're getting the full country experience.
It has a rural image.
Even though we call ourselves city boys.
"Fields and paddies are too rural."
The mountain nomads say so.
What do Noda residents say about this?
Residents of Nagareyama don't want to use Noda license plates.
Why's that?
They say it makes them look too rural, so they don't like it.
Isn't Nagareyama more rural than here?
Hasn’t Nagareyama
only recently started getting attention?
There wasn't anything there before.
Nothing but mountains.
Nagareyama is getting a bit full of itself.
They’ve been full of themselves since the TX started running.
"Nagareyama residents
have been full of themselves ever since the Tsukuba Express started running."
In fact, this Noda license plate problem
has been around for some time...
20 years ago,
Kashiwa became independent from the Noda license plate,
and got its own Kashiwa plate.
Also, six years ago,
Matsudo City became independent and got a Matsudo license plate.
Let’s hear what residents of Kashiwa say to Nagareyama residents who want
their own license plate.
Kashiwa is a total metropolis.
They say it's the second Shibuya.
From that perspective...
they’re all much the same. That's what I think.
Ever since the TX opened,
they're like "We're the new Futako-Tamagawa."
And we're like, "We're the local Shibuya."
Isn't it the best in Chiba?
Kashiwa plates are the best.
Nagareyama residents want to have their own plates too.
In that case, I'd rather they build a Lumine.
Better to build
a Lumine than plates.
It'll attract a younger crowd.
License plates don't matter.
They don't matter.
There is no Lumine in Chiba Prefecture.
If they were to build one, it might be in Nagareyama.
So, would you go there if they build a Lumine?
I'd go there immediately.
- Immediately. - That's right.
I'd move there.
Residents of Nagareyama...
Chiba residents don't want your plate.
They want a Lumine in Nagareyama.
Next is Osaka Prefecture.
Sakai City. The "How Money is Spent" Issue.
According to reports released last month,
an expenditure in Sakai City is a whopping 96,630 yen.
ranking first in the country.
We asked Sakai City residents about this.
Sakai City ranked number one nationwide in a certain ranking.
What do you think it is?
Sewage. It must be sewage.
The sewage fees are so expensive.
The sewage fees in Sakai are so expensive.
Ancient tombs, knives, and bikes...
It must be knives.
Knives.
The cost of the knives.
Do you have any knives from Sakai?
- I don't. - I don't.
I only have what I got from others.
Keyhole mounds.
A balloon ride
is about 3,000 yen.
But I’m not spending 3,000 yen just to see some mounds.
What a joke. Total waste of money.
The answer is...
EXPENDITURES WHERE IT’S UNCLEAR WHAT THE MONEY WAS USED FOR
See,
just what you'd expect from Sakai City.
Is that so?
Just what you'd expect from Sakai City.
That's right. Sakai residents
have mystery expenditures they don't remember,
and they spend about 96,630 yen each year this way.
That's so true.
Can you relate to this?
Definitely.
I get it! We're sloppy with money.
We're sloppy.
Sloppy accounting.
It's about 100,000 yen a year.
That's right!
The money just disappears.
We asked them where the money might be going to.
My husband won't stop spending money
on our daughter.
When he goes to a drugstore,
he ends up
buying bath bombs for her.
It's 550 yen for a one-time bath use.
It just dissolves and disappears.
What's it actually for?
Crane game.
It's so endless, it's insane.
Kids just reach for it...
I keep putting money in until the prize drops.
I blow over 200,000 yen
at pachinko.
I'm not letting this machine win today.
These people are drinking during the day.
It must be unnecessary spendings.
Alcohol and...
Alcohol, women, cigarettes, and pachinko.
How many drinks have you had?
I don't know. Maybe seven.
And this woman...
It's because I tell taxi drivers "Keep the change," and such.
Then it hits me,
"This is why I'm short a few thousand yen."
I have a lot of mysterious expenses.
It's not for things like alcohol or food...
Before I know it, it's just gone.
And then...
A FRIEND
Thought I’d ask him as well.
This is it.
No idea what I spent it on.
Is it because of people like that?
That's right.
Have a drink, man.
He is giving drinks to people he doesn't know.
Of course, he doesn’t know his expenses.
Next,
we spotted a man biting into a whole green onion.
This is rare.
Sakai City is number one in the country
for "unaccounted-for expenditures."
We're asking everyone what they spend their money on.
I see.
I spend money on green onions.
I eat nothing but green onions.
What is this? Is this your meal?
It's my meal.
Your meal? Is it your lunch?
Onions?
Lunch Onions.
You eat the whole bunch?
Not one by one?
But you see...
Since I don't have teeth,
this is what happens.
- I have just one tooth. - Just one?
I've only got one tooth, so...
That’s why I can’t chew.
Now that you mention it,
the bite marks...
It's not even cut, is it?
I'm like an herbivore.
Suddenly, he came to his senses.
Huh? Wait a second.
This is bad.
This is crazy, man.
Are you suddenly feeling embarrassed?
I guess so.
You're going to broadcast this?
We intend to.
I look terrible. My hair is a mess.
Your hair looks really cool.
It's my face, isn't it?
It's your green onions.
Next, we came across...
Can we?
Excuse me.
We bumped into Kuroda from Kobukuro, a Sakai native.
I just
came back
from a ceremonial first pitch
for an independent league team
called the Sakai Shrikes.
What are you doing here?
Sakai was ranked number one
in Japan for having the most
"unaccounted-for" spending.
Number one? That's not true.
Go home!
Stop coming here to nitpick.
That's not it!
It came up in a national survey,
so we're asking everyone what they spend
their money on.
- Sakai residents? - That's right.
By the way, Mr. Kuroda, do you have any mysterious expenses?
Mysterious expenses...
Speakers, amps...
The amount he spends on audio
is enough to build a house.
First, the speakers need to be pretty big.
You need the amp of a certain scale too.
Then there's the power supply to run it.
100 volts just
isn't strong enough.
So you bring 200V right to the wall.
With electricity, since things like washers
and microwaves are running upstream...
That creates noise.
So you run a line straight from the pole.
Without splitting the line anywhere else.
- There’s a utility pole just for audio? - That's right.
It sounds better at my place
than hearing it at a live venue.
That’s why they say you can "see" the person. The person singing.
That's right.
When you listen to the Carpenters, Karen is right there.
You can see the pianist playing in the back, too.
You made me talk this much, but you won't use a single bit, will you?
We will use it.
I've seriously talked about audio equipment
on various music shows all this time.
It hasn't been used even once.
Getting 220 volts directly from the source...
We didn't want to use his footage either,
but we've included it so he can understand for himself why it’s usually cut.
So we went ahead and aired it.
That's all for "Local Issues from Around Japan."
I've heard him talk about this a lot
in other TV shows.
You know, his obsession.
The truth is,
we really should just talk it out.
He’s so obsessed, even with Kobukuro’s stuff,
he listens to the mix everywhere.
He’ll try it on a car stereo
and all sorts of places
just to see how everyone hears it in their daily lives.
He puts so much work into the recording,
along with Mr. Kobuchi.
But then I tell him,
"Kids these days just use smartphones."
And he's like, "Exactly!"
It always ends in a predictable sob story.
Subtitle translation by: Hasan Hüseyin Öztürk