The Reality TV Experiment: Nasubi

This is the fourth part of Tomoaki Hamatsu’s story, I strongly recommend you start at the beginning here to learn the full story.

Resume: In January 1998, Tomoaki Hamatsu, a 22-year-old aspiring comedian, was randomly selected to participate in the upcoming "Denpa Shōnen" first season: "Denpa Shōnen Teki Kenshō Seikatsu", which roughly translates to “The Crazy Youth Prize Life”. The premise of the show, “Can someone live only by rewards in Japan?”, brought Tomoaki Hamatsu, nicknamed Nasubi, to a very dangerous living situation for 335 days. Unbeknownst to him, he would be transported to another apartment in Korea to answer a new premise: "Can someone live only by rewards in Korea?" Here is the story of Nasubi.

"Please let me do this challenge" Nasubi agreed, naked.

This Korean apartment was nearly identical to the first apartment he was introduced to. He would start this new challenge with a small table, a phone, a radio, tons of postcards and magazines, two dictionaries, his newly acquired kimchi pot, a cooker, a toilet and a bath. The producers promised an easier challenge and luck will indeed bring Nasubi to his goal (too) quickly.

Renewed spirit

Quite surprised, the producers and the viewers noticed a renewed Nasubi in Korea, despite the language barrier. In fact, this intellectual activity seemed to uplift Nasubi's mood. In January 1999, his first month in Korea, Nasubi sent 2086 postcards, which is impressive for a beginner in a foreign language. He returned to dancing and singing: he was indeed very happy that his textbook translation would be understood by Koreans.

His difficulties in Korean did not prevent luck from knocking on his door. He received multiple gifts including his first suitable clothes: red boxer shorts, which he never even tried. Nasubi will ultimately frame it and hang it on the wall. He also received a TV, which, this time, was useful since the apartment provided the cable. Entertained and fed on Kimchi and bananas, Nasubi quickly covered the price of an economy-class plane ticket valued at 46,900 yen.

However, the producers, instead of bringing him back to Tokyo as promised, decided to upgrade the plane ticket from economy class to business class worth 57,300 yen. He would achieve his new goal the next day, receiving a set of highly-priced tea leaves. With his 61, 800 yen worth in prizes, Nasubi would now have to reach a third goal of 81,600 yen for a first-class plane ticket. The producers proposed to the viewers a fourth goal of 944,440 yen for a flight from Seoul to Tokyo with a stop in Paris, but Nasubi soon wondered out loud: "I think I earned enough already for this goal..."

As usual with these producers, they woke up Nasubi in the middle of the night to break the news: They (accidentally) dropped their flashlight on his crotch, waking Nasubi up in surprise and pain.

"Let's go", the producers said.

The unboxing

For the last 15 months, Nasubi has been a beloved character broadcasted on Nippon TV and online. Without access to the outside world, he was unaware of his fandom in and beyond Japan, but he would soon learn it.

On March 28, 1999, the producers brought Nasubi to a nearly identical "apartment" built on an even hall stage in Japan. Nasubi was under the impression that the challenge would start again, so he waited in this staged waiting room: he unclothed himself and sat, waiting for instructions from the producers. Outside the box "apartment", two hosts were entertaining a crowd of 1000 people before the countdown began:

"10... 9... 8... 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." the screen displayed.

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Click here to continue Nasubi's story.