I recently discovered the show “Old Enough” (はじめてのおつかい) on Netflix and it showed Japanese scenery, culture, and food. This was a cute show and I was able to remember some words because it has English subtitles. I want to learn more about Japanese culture.
Are there any slice of life reality tv shows about Japanese culture that you would recommend?
Thank you for reading:)
7 comments
Love is Blind: Japan. Shows how they deal with love and such.
サ道 - The Way of Sauna. Just a series about a group of guys who like chilling at different saunas around Japan. All of the saunas are real and they talk about the features in those places. At its core it’s a series about relaxing.
You just need to keep in mind that *all* “reality” shows here are highly scripted/rigged and have little or nothing to do with a “slice of life”.
Mayybe terrace house? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrace_House
Its like “Big Brother” in that they all live together in one house and cameras are rolling. But you get to know a little bit about what they are doing with their lives outside the house too.
So sorta, but not exactly, but sorta.
Slice of life shorts are sort of popular in japanese network television too i think. Like between their dramas and news stories and whatever else theres always these mini things checking out every day people doing their thing. Like a group of old ladies who make desserts all day and want to work until they die. Or an entrepreneur sake maker who is struggling bc covid cut his sales. I think theres apps you can watch free network japanese tv on and it might have them. I don’t know what they are called tho sorry. I just notice they pop up between my moms dramas :p
Not a scripted reality show, but YouTube Japanology by NHK World. Great docuseries with multiple seasons where each episode focuses on a bit of Japanese culture. There’s episodes for tea, rice, Akihabara, bento, sumo, pet ownership, pottery, Japanese gyms etc! Probably my favorite show on Japan.
There used to be a show on Netflix called ‘Japan Origin’?? I honestly can’t remember the name but it was something like that. It was like a daytime TV show with the classic panel of people reacting to the show. Super educational on where Japanese traditions came from, anywhere from how candy was made to the large hanging moss balls used outside of sake distilleries. Even one on the life of landscapers.
Netflix’s “Midnight Diner” and its sequel aren’t reality TV shows, but I was hooked! Very Japanese, reminds me of home and let’s just say that I got homesick watching it.
Someone mentioned Terrace House, as well! The young adults’ behaviors are very Japanese and portrays my culture very accurately! I might add, that the commentary folks (most are Japanese A-listers) depict our culture very well. From the topics discussed, how they react, very Japanese (and un-American). I think if you watch it, you’ll notice that non-Japanese or Americans won’t even find some of their discussion topics funny or interesting? I hope you enjoy it! I would often laugh in tears watching them bash/tease the characters lol The commentary folks are often comedians so they can be very blunt and obnoxious lol