"The House in the Middle of Nowhere" (ABC TV/TV Asahi, Sunday 7:58 p.m.) is a variety show that uses satellite photos to search for a remote house. In the May 25 episode, the search team visits a temple on a mountaintop in Okayama Prefecture and follows the life of the head priest.
The guests were actors Jun Hashimoto and Ayame Goriki. Gouriki said, "I think it would be lonely not being able to meet people, but I'm very interested in living in a house all alone," but Hashimoto, who will be making his second guest appearance, said firmly, "I definitely don't want to do that (laughs)."
The search team found a house standing quietly in the mountains of Okayama Prefecture using satellite images. When they showed the satellite images to a man walking in the nearest village, he declared, "No one lives there now." Nevertheless, when the search team asked the man for directions, he agreed to show them the way.
However, the journey was more difficult than they had imagined. The search team followed the lead car along a narrow cliff road that was barely wide enough for one car, with tires slipping on wet dead leaves. When they finally reached a house, it started to snow. The man told the at a loss search team, "Now that I think of it, there's a lonely temple up ahead, isn't there?"
However, the cliff road ahead was a rough one with many ups and downs. The search team gripped the wheel in fear, saying, "It's like a roller coaster ride." At the end of the mountain road, the view opened up and a majestic temple appeared on a vast site. They were warmly greeted by the 37-year-old head priest and his mother (67).
The temple was founded in 708 (the first year of the Wadō era). Located near the summit at an altitude of 600m, the temple offers a spectacular view of the sea of clouds. The search team will also closely follow the life of the head priest, including rare footage of the temple's main hall, guest hall, and temple residence. The preview video shows the head priest guiding the search team to a place said to have mystical powers and treating them to a vegetarian meal similar to fried chicken.
