Why Did You Come to Japan? explained

Alt Name:YOUは何しに日本へ?
Presenter:Osamu Shitara and Yūki Himura (Bananaman)
Narrated:Bobby Ologun
Country:Japan
Language:Japanese
Channel:TV Tokyo
Last Aired:present

is a Japanese television programme presented by Osamu Shitara and Yūki Himura, a comedy duo known as "Bananaman". It is a regular programme on TV Tokyo on Monday evenings.[1] The show was first broadcast in the form of two pilot shows in June and October 2012 before becoming a recurring series, airing late on Wednesday nights starting 9 January 2013.[2] Due to its popularity, it was moved to the prime time evening slot on Mondays beginning with the episode broadcast on 15 April 2013, where it has been airing (with slight time changes) ever since.[2] [3] In the programme, a team of interviewers go around various airports in Japan, with Narita International Airport as their main reporting hub, and ask non-Japanese arrivals "Why did you come to Japan?". They then attempt to follow the interviewees on their journeys around Japan, in a process called . A question posed for departees is, "What souvenir did you buy?" Besides interviewing people at airports, another skit tries to find non-English teaching foreigners in randomly chosen cities throughout Japan.

The show is narrated by Nigerian-born TV personality Bobby Ologun, with additional voiceovers provided by Daniel Kahl and Carolyn Kawasaki. A special episode aired on 12 November 2018 had members of girl group Nogizaka46, of whom Bananaman are so-called "official brothers", as guest interviewers.[4] The programme has featured coincidental encounters with celebrities at the airport, including British actor Benedict Cumberbatch[5] and American former baseball player Leron Lee.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 『YOUは何しに日本へ?』が4月から放送時間90分に拡大でゴールデン進出!MCは引き続きバナナマン | テレビ関連ニュース [テレビドガッチ] |publisher=Dogatch.jp |date=13 March 2013 |accessdate=4 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730065314/http://dogatch.jp/news/tx/15173 |archive-date=30 July 2013 |url-status=dead ].
  2. Web site: Hirai. Kei. 『YOUは何しに日本へ?』なぜ人気なのか プロデューサーを直撃「キーワードは愛」. MSN Topics. 31 August 2013. Japanese. https://web.archive.org/web/20130520205840/http://topics.jp.msn.com/entertainment/movie/article.aspx?articleid=1795953. 20 May 2013. dead.
  3. Web site: 「日本が好きだから」外国人たちの思いに日本の魅力を振り返る『YOUは何しに日本へ?』の多幸感. Excite News. 31 August 2013. Japanese.
  4. Web site: YOUは何しに日本へ?に乃木坂46がガチ参戦!アイドルだけど超本気コラボで汗と涙の3時間SP テレ東からのお知らせ : テレビ東京. テレビ東京. ja. 2020-05-25.
  5. Web site: http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/youhananishini/backnumber/130826.html. ja:14回目の放送は・・・. 14th broadcast. Back number broadcast 26 August 2013. TV Tokyo Corporation. 7 September 2013. Japanese.
  6. Web site: http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/youhananishini/backnumber/index.html. ja:16回目の放送は・・・. 16th broadcast. Back number broadcast 16 September 2013. TV Tokyo Corporation. 17 September 2013. Japanese.