Nasubi

In Unit 6 we read about Nasubi, a Japanese comedian who spent 15 months in an appartment, trying to win 1 million yen in order to get out. During all this time, TV cameras broadcast everything he did. Here are some more facts about him and the TV show:

• he didn't know what kind of show he was in, or that he was watched by thousands of people every day.


• he was completely naked all the time. The TV show put an eggplant on screen to cover his parts (Nasubi means eggplant in Japanese).


• it took him two weeks to win some food. The first thing he ate was some jelly.


• it took him eight months to win some toilet paper.


• he won some rice, but he had no cooking utensils.


• he sent out between 3000 and 8000 postcards a month.


• he was allowed a holiday at the beach in September.


• every time he won something, he danced and sang an invented song in front of the cameras.


• after he won the contest, he had to complete a second part of it in Korea.

Read more about him here: http://www.quirkyjapan.or.tv/nasubi.html. You will see the things he won, and also the things he never won!

Here you can see photos of Nasubi in action (the site is in Japanese. Follow the links on the left).