The educational variety show "Tokoro-san no Mega Ten!" (Nippon TV, Sunday 7am), hosted by entertainer Tokoro George, will celebrate its 35th anniversary on October 6th. Tokoro held a press conference this time, where he talked about memorable episodes and his future aspirations.
"Tokoro-san no Mega Ten!" began in 1989, when the era name changed from "Showa" to "Heisei". For Tokoro, who is now 69 years old, it feels like he has been with this show for half his life. Details of the press conference are as follows.
-How do you feel about the show's 35th anniversary, a long-running program that has been on the air since 1989?
It makes you feel like you've been working at Nippon TV for a long time. I think you were approached about this program when you were around 35 years old. At the time, there were no morning programs on the air, so I thought it would be interesting. I spend my days pursuing fun things, so I don't really look back on it unless it's a milestone like this, but I think one of the reasons why "Me ga Ten!" has continued for so long is because of its broadcast time. It's aired at 7am on Sunday morning, when everyone's eyes are still half-asleep. If it was on prime time, I'd probably be a little on edge too (laughs).
This feeling of 7am on Sunday morning - are you awake? Is the sound of the faucet running while you're making breakfast drowning you out? What about the TV? I think it's just right for both the viewers and the performers. And since it's all information, they're sure to mention the good stuff every time. I think that's what's appealing about it. It's a time slot where you don't have to strain yourself to listen, and yet the little bits you hear stick as good information. I think it's become a regular thing for everyone.
It's the same for me too. I come here (to the recording studio) on the same days of the week, and I drive myself, so the roads are the same. It's all the same route, like an animal trail, and I come home at about the same time, so it's just a part of my life. I'm already good friends with everyone, even the security guard at the NTV parking lot. So I get seasonal things, and I feel bad so I give something back (laughs), and it's fun to do things like that.
Also, I think that if TV programs cling to what's newsworthy at the time, they can end along with that news, so I still hope that in the future, in the style of "Me ga Ten!", the show will continue to ask standard questions. Because it's a science program, I learn a lot too. Before filming, we have a meeting with the staff and everyone involved, right? It's a little hard for TV viewers to understand, and even though it's an experiment, it's an experiment that suits us, so we have to do it this way, right? I sometimes tell them that. The most important thing is to convey good information to the viewers.
--The October 6th broadcast will feature the "Kagaku no Sato" project, which began 10 years ago, with the theme of satoyama regeneration, and with the cooperation of various natural science researchers and local people, to explore ways to utilize satoyama in a sustainable way, and recently, a new project called "Ikimono no Mori" has been introduced, in which participants create their own nature observation fields. What kind of developments do you expect in the future?
I wasn't really hoping that various animals would come, but I was hoping that we could eat delicious food at the harvest festival in the fall, and as I continued to do things like that, "Kagaku no Sato" gradually circulated and got better. To be honest, at the beginning I thought it was a hassle to go to Satoyama. But now I feel like I want to go! I guess the excitement is increasing. Once things are sorted out to a certain extent, this guy seems to get into it (laughs).
He says it's a hassle when he can't see the future, but when I tell him that it's developing well, he gets into it as if he's been doing it for a long time. It's not like I planned it, though. The homemade natto was delicious. I'm most grateful that they serve it as it is. One thing the staff of this program tend to do is always try to make some kind of dish that the staff has thought up at the end. But it's all terrible (laughs). It's hopelessly untasty. I always tell him not to do anything unnecessary, but he keeps trying new things, so I think it's amazing (laughs).
--Kagaku-no-Sato has been supported by so many local people up until now.
Those people do everything, don't they? Because they have to look after the fields every day. If the water in the rice paddies runs low, they add well water, and things like that wouldn't be possible without the cooperation of the people who live there.
--On the show, two years ago, world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma, who resonated with Kagaku-no-Sato's efforts, began designing the main house of Kagaku-no-Sato.
When Kuma's building is built, people from all over the country will want to come and see it. And if Kuma's building ever starts to fall apart, I'll quietly move it over. On my own property. It's not for personal gain, but because I feel a sense of responsibility: if I don't take care of it, who will?!
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Finally, when asked by a reporter, "Until what age do you want to continue this program?" Tokoro, who is currently 69 years old, replied, "I would definitely stop if I start to feel unwell. I don't want to continue until I'm gasping for breath and the people watching start to worry about me (laughs). But as long as I can laugh, I'll keep going!"
The 35th anniversary broadcast of "Tokoro-san no Megaten!" will be "Kagaku no Sato Special!". It will be aired at 7 am on October 6th.
