"Detective! Night Scoop" (ABC TV, Fridays at 11:17 PM) is a popular variety show where "detectives" tackle bizarre requests and worries submitted by viewers. On April 10th, Detective Kanpei Hazama investigated the case of "opening my father's keepsake briefcase." Yokoyama Yu from the popular group "SUPER EIGHT" made his first appearance as the special director, with Ishida Yasushi as assistant director and Masuda Saori as secretary.
The request came from a 39-year-old man in Fukuoka Prefecture. Nineteen years ago, when the man was 20, his father passed away. He has an attaché case at home that belonged to his father. The attaché case has two keys; one is unlocked, but the other remains locked, and he has kept it stored away without knowing how to open it.
I didn't know what was inside, and I was curious about what my father had left behind. It's a bit of a naive thought, but I'd be happy if it contained cash or something valuable. Even if it didn't contain anything like that, I'd be happy if it contained something that reminded me of my father. I was asking if it would be possible to open this attaché case for me.
The client's father was a strict man from Kyushu. Upon seeing the sturdy leather attaché case, Detective Kanpei fantasizes, "Was your father Al Capone?" However, the attaché case in question has a three-digit combination lock. Yet, the client says he has only tried five combinations for the other key, including family birthdays.
So, they tried five new combinations based on the father's hobbies and height, but all were unsuccessful. Then they started trying each number one by one, beginning with "000". It seemed like an incredibly tedious task, but the key responded to the surprisingly simple numbers. Did they find what the client was looking for?
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This time, the "Special Director" is Yokoyama Yu from "SUPER EIGHT," making his first appearance. Greeted by a huge cheer of "Wow!", Yokoyama read his opening lines carefully, word by word. Meanwhile, Detective Takeyama interjects, "You've been saying 'Wow! Wow!' since it started, what's going on?" to which Yokoyama confesses, "I thought it was just like what I see on TV. I can't quite believe it. I feel like I'm floating right now."
He then said, "Murakami (Shingo) was the first Special Director. At that time, I said to him, 'You've made it big,' (laughs). I never thought I'd be able to sit in that position myself, so I'm incredibly happy. Thank you."
Yokoyama said of Night Scoop, "It really feels like it's 'right in the heart of Osaka.' It might sound like a cliché, but I really grew up watching 'Detective! Night Scoop,' so it's very moving for me." He also recalled the atmosphere of the ABC Hall, which was in the former ABC building, and looked around the studio, saying, "Ah, so this is what it's like now."
