Japan is famous for its quirky side, and Japanese game shows are a prime example of that quirkiness. These shows fully embrace the weird, featuring wild costumes, flashy lights, and crazy physical challenges that can be both entertaining and, well, a bit crazy. It’s like mixing Japan’s love for animation with the crazy stunts you’d see in a Saw movie.
Now, let’s dive into the top 10 weirdest Japanese game shows you won’t believe exist.
1. Candy or Not Candy —
- In “Candy or Not Candy,” celebrity contestants face the bizarre challenge of determining whether an object is candy or an everyday item.
- The art form known as sokkuri is used to create chocolate replicas of everyday objects, from shoes to doorknobs.
- Contestants must avoid potentially biting into these inanimate objects.
2. DERO! DERO!
- Contestants are forced to solve puzzles and answer questions in high-stress scenarios.
- Challenges range from balancing on a retracting plank to escaping a room rapidly filling with water.
3. TORE!
- Contestants try to answer seven questions before they are completely mummified.
- They are wrapped in cloth from head to toe and placed in a tomb as they play.
4. Human Tetris
- Contestants stand on a platform while walls with challenging cutouts move towards them.
- They must maneuver their bodies to fit through the cutouts, with increasing difficulty.
5. The Bum Game
- Girls hide their identities behind a mold, revealing only their bottoms.
- Contestants must identify each girl based solely on the two holes revealing their bums.
6. AKBingo!
- Dodgeball with disturbing consequences for those who get hit.
- Punishments chosen by a comedy duo, involving grotesque challenges like blowing insects into a tube.
7. Let’s Go To The End Of The World
Contestants travel the world and face strange tasks, such as confronting wildlife from a Plexiglas cube.
8. Strip the Girl
- Male contestants complete challenging tasks to catch glimpses of a naked model behind a board.
- Challenges involve throwing bean bags to remove sections on the board.
9. Wake-Up Challenge
- Judges wake up attractive girls sleeping on the floor in cute ways.
- Girls not deemed cute enough get a pie in the face.
10. Spread Your Legs
- A painful game involving three girls, a spinning wheel, and a torture device.
- The machine spreads the girl’s legs further, with unclear victory conditions.