It has been announced that a special program celebrating the 1,500th broadcast and 30th anniversary of TV Tokyo's popular information variety program "Appear! Ad Town Heaven" will be broadcast on March 22nd at 6:30 pm. A press conference was held ahead of the broadcast, where the host (head of advertising for your town), Yoshihiko Inohara, and the station's announcer Nakahara Minami shared their thoughts.
Inohara, who took over as host from the late Kin'ya Aikawa in 2015 and is celebrating his 10th year this year, said, "It's only been 10 years, but we'll be celebrating our 40th, 50th, and 60th anniversaries... which would mean I'll be close to 80 years old. I don't know, but I think we can do it. I think we can do it." He continued, "To make that happen, I want the town to remain attractive. As this program moves forward from its 30th anniversary, I wonder how much it can become truly community-based. I want this program to continue to be a part of my life."
Nakahara said, "It has become a really relaxing place. When I come to this studio for recording, I feel relaxed and my shoulders can let go. Inohara-san, the regular cast, and the guests all give us a lot of information, and it's like we're all relaxing at home in a relaxed atmosphere, watching TV together, watching 'Ad Street' like a public viewing. I hope this place will continue to be like that, and I hope the program will continue for decades to come."
Inohara said, "I also get people I know say to me, 'Ad Town is on it,' or 'My town will be featured on Ad Town next time,' and even though I didn't choose the shows, they still say thank you. I don't think there are many shows like that." He added, "I hope that children of the future will grow up thinking, 'I want my town to be featured.' I hope we can continue to make it our motto to create a relaxing show that the whole family can watch."
"Celebrating! 1,500th Broadcast 30th Anniversary SPECIAL" is a special three and a half hours long that will feature a "Best 30" section looking back at the best moments from the past 30 years with rare footage, as well as a roundtable discussion with all the female announcers who have hosted the show so far (the roundtable discussion will only be broadcast on TV Tokyo, TV Setouchi, and TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting).
The program will introduce the symbols of the town that have disappeared and the before and after of redevelopment, as well as the best gourmet food from shops that had long lines and famous shop owners. It will also introduce rare footage of Seiya Suzuki, a baseball boy from Machiya, and Ikeda Miyu, known as Michopa, at her first TV appearance at a candy store in Oji Kamiya. In a roundtable discussion with past female announcers, Yashio Keiko, Oe Mariko, Suguro Seika, Katabuchi Akane, and current host Nakahara Minami will appear and talk about "Ad Street" episodes and candid talk that can only be shared now.
