KOKO GA HEN DA YO NIHONJIN

Beat Takeshi claims that he is trying to help Japanese people to express their opinions by demonstrating the lively way that foreigners discuss things, showing that foreigners can master the Japanese language, and create mutual understanding by getting Japanese and foreigners together. When you see the show however, with its screaming, booing, sensationalism, cheap humour and lowest common denominator appeal, you quickly realise what the shows really is: a freak show. The truth is that he has imported the Jerry Springer style sleazy talk show to Japan and has done absolutely nothing to promote inter-cultural understanding.
There are a few questions you have to ask yourself when you hear the participants claiming they are trying to raise serious issues with the Japanese public: Why does the host, beat Takeshi always wear a funny hat and carry a big plastic hammer to hit guests over the head with? Why is 400 pound former sumo wrestler Konishiki on the show, when he rarely says more than ten words per show if not for his freak show value? Do we really need flashing lights and loud music to have a serious discussion of political and social issues?
The basic idea of the show is that 100 foreigners from all over the world come on the show and discuss things that they don't like about Japan. Sometimes they discuss international issues like Japan's role in the United Nations, or war repartations for WWII, but mostly it's sex, violence, and junk food news. Typical topics include, high school prostitutes, hostess clubs, violence among young people, school bullying, unusual fashion trends, etc.
Even when serious topics are discussed, the discussions have a way of deteriorating into shouting matches, with people calling each other names and attacking people's characters rather than their arguments. To get on the show, you have to be loud and volatile and few of the participants have more than a nodding aquaintance with the topics they are getting so upset about. Clement Adamson, a perpetually angry character from Ghana, when asked if he was really that angry, admitted in a recent interview that, "No [it's not my real personality], but for the show I have to express myself that way to get my point across. So for the mean time I am the hot tempered bad guy."
Although the participants claim that they like living in Japan and are only hoping to raise issues about things that they want changed in order to make Japan a better place, the shows focus on only negative aspects automatically creates discord, creating an us versus them situation, where the Japanese participants are defending themselves against the attacking foreigners. Although on the surface the show seems to be promoting healthy discussion, it is, in fact strengthening divisions between Japanese and foreigners.
The show airs on Wednesday nights at 10pm on TBS.