"Detective! Night Scoop" (ABC TV, Friday 11:17 PM) is a popular variety show in which "detectives" tackle the bizarre requests and worries sent in by viewers. On January 23rd, detective Maeda Ken investigated the "town's strange and mysterious old man." Special Director Sawabe Yu, Assistant Director Takeyama Takanori, and Secretary Masuda Saori also appeared.
This is the second installment of "Strange and Mysterious Old Men in Town." The first request, "The Hot Pants Old Man of Shibuya," came from a 48-year-old woman in Tokyo. In Shibuya's Center Street, there is an old man wearing short hot pants that are so short you can see his butt. He wears loose white socks and red sneakers, and walks around with his belly button exposed. However, his face is completely that of an old man. She says she has been seeing him in this outfit, both in summer and winter, for quite some time now.
The second message, "The Man with the Plastic Bottle on His Head," was from a 38-year-old woman in Osaka City. She said, "There's a man walking around town with a plastic bottle on his head. He goes shopping with it on, but the bottle never falls off. What's going on with the plastic bottle? Why is he carrying it on his head?"
In both cases, the man wanted to know why he was dressed like that, but was too scared to approach him. Detective Maeda suddenly spotted the man in a shopping district where the "Man with a Plastic Bottle on His Head" is said to frequently appear. When he called out to him, the man, who he called "Ya-san," said he had been carrying a plastic bottle on his head for the past four years. The reason was surprising, and it took him more than two years to get to the point where he was carrying a two-liter bottle. The man said, "I'm honored that someone called out to me."
Meanwhile, the investigation in Shibuya Center Street was proving difficult. Soon, the "Hot Pants Man" walked by. When I called out to him timidly, he responded with a smile, "You're Maeda, right?" The man, who introduced himself as "Kanaken," had a difficult childhood that led him to his current fashion style.
