Image: The Japan Times
Dead Air – World’s longest running TV show forced to switch to reruns
Millions of viewers were dealt another covid-19 related setback as Japan and the world’s longest running television show switched to re-runs, Fuji Television Network said on Sunday.
Sazae-san had first aired in 1969 and has take a Sunday evening spot each week since 1975 when an oil crisis halted production. Episodes often take more than 10% of the viewing audience.
The animation, following the life of the titular Sazae-san, her husband and her extended family, is a household staple in many Japanese households over it’s 50 years on the end.
The anime was based on the manga of the same name, created by one of Japan’s first female anime artists, Machiko Hasegawa.
Sazae-san herself has become something of an icon too, advocating women’s liberation and shunning traditional gender roles. One plotline depicts her neighbour’s consternation as she bosses her husband around.
In 2013 The Guinness Book of World Records recognised Sazae-san as it overtook The Simpsons as the longest running scripted television show.
The coronavirus pandemic has halted production for at least a week as producers look to safely resume making the TV show.
Local Hero – Prefectures look to lift state of emergency
Japan announced that it may look to lift the state-of-emergency measures in many regions this week if new infections of Covid-19 are under control, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Monday.
Last week the government announced that it would extend emergency measures to the end of May, urging people to remain in their homes and businesses to close. This included numerous pachinko parlours, bars and shops that have flouted the restrictions.
Prime minister Shinzo Abe has told a parliamentary committee that the end was in sight, saying, “We have been able to proceed steadily towards an end.”
On Monday, Tokyo had filled 90% of the allocated hospital beds to cope with the coronavirus and that Japan had less than half the 31,077 beds necessary to cope with the infection peak.
Thus far, Japan has avoided such a peak, with 15,800 cases and a 640 deaths despite its population of 126 million. Progress in Tokyo has been promising – Monday’s figures were the first time new cases had dropped below 15.
Despite this, Japan has been criticized for a lack of stringent testing. Japan has tested 1,694 people in every million. The UK, in a similar phase of de-escalation from lockdown measures, has tested 28,309 but has suffered almost 100 times as many deaths linked to the disease.
Whether Japan’s refusal to test widely or its attribution of cause of death has led to these figures remains to be seen.
Norwegian Rock – Murakami to host ‘Stay at Home’ DJ set
Haruki Murakami, one of Japan’s most celebrated authors, will host a live radio special to lift the spirits of a country dulled by coronavirus.
Murakami, writer of the 1987 hit, Norwegian Wood, will play favourite songs, take requests and welcome comments in a “stay at home” special to echo the words of Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike.
“I’m hoping that the power of music can do a little to blow away some of the corona-related blues that have been piling up,” Murakami said.
The writer is no stranger to music and even to broadcasting. His work is laced with musical references from the Beatles to Japanese bebop. In his first broadcast in August 2018, he played a set exploring his huge collection of 10,000 LPs on Tokyo FM.
Speaking at the time he said, “I thought it may be good to share such good times with other people while chatting over a glass of wine or a cup of coffee.”
The Murakami Radio Stay Home Special will play on Tokyo FM 80.0 and 38 stations nationwide on 22 May.
