Actor and singer Akira Terao will be a guest on "Junsanpo Year-end DX 2024" (TV Asahi), which will be broadcast from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. on December 29th. In a special edition of Junji Takada's travel show "Junsanpo" (Monday to Friday 9:55 a.m., excluding some areas), the two golfing buddies and close friends tour Motomachi and Yokohama Chinatown.
They take a stroll while Terao, a Yokohama native, tells them about the charms of the city. Terao is known for wearing sunglasses in his hit song "Ruby no Yubiwa," so they visit an eyeglass store that stocks brands popular with Hollywood stars and foreign celebrities. When Terao finds his favorite sunglasses, Takada exclaims, "I like them! I'll give them to you!", and just when you think he's going to give them to him as a present, Terao can't help but smile wryly at his next comment. The two "best friends" burst into a bag store popular for the "Hamatora" fashion that became a huge hit in the late 1970s.
The talk was lively, and Terao revealed the surprising story behind the birth of "Ruby no Yubiwa." The background to the birth of this masterpiece was a "miracle" that occurred during an unfortunate time.
At Yokohama Chinatown, they try their hand at the crane game that is a regular feature of Junsanpo. Terao, who is trying crane games for the first time, aims for a panda keychain that is unique to Chinatown, but Takada bursts into laughter at the unexpected outcome. At the nearby Yokohama Chinese Academy, they observe a practice of the Chinese lion dance, a specialty of Chinatown. Takada is overwhelmed by the incredible techniques, saying, "That's artistic!", and Terao praises them, saying, "That's amazing!"
After finishing the recording, Terao reflected on the location shoot, saying, "Once again, I was reminded of how amazing Takada Junji is. No matter who he's talking to, within a limited amount of time, he can instantly figure out how to lead the conversation forward. It's a natural talent. A genius! Thanks to that, at the Chinese restaurant, I hardly said a word and just ate my sanmamen."
Takada commented, "Terao is an incredible person; he's a musician and an actor. Even when we play golf together, I'm always one or two strokes behind him. But above all, Terao is a fun person, so I'm glad he came on our show at the end of the year."
Regarding the development of the program next year, he said, "Next year in September, 'Jun Walk' will celebrate its 10th anniversary, so to commemorate that, I've proposed taking a walk with Shohei Otani, who will be in Los Angeles...but I guess the success rate is about 0.2% (laughs)? But I'd like to go to sleep every night fantasizing about making it happen. I look forward to your continued support next year!"
