15 Months in a Tiny Room Almost Drove Nasubi nuts
Yomiuri Shimbun
4/29/99The man we have grown used to seeing naked, dancing madly on television week after week, showed up for the interview fully clothed--in a suit. His name is Nasubi, the latest addition to a group of comedians who rose to stardom after appearing in Denpa Shonen (Sundays, 1030 p.m., NTV network). Nasubi's peers on the show have been given such daunting tasks as hitchhiking across Europe and Asia. Nasubi's mission involved fewer logistical difficulties, or so it seemed.
Nasubi was commanded to coop up in a spartan apartment room and send out post cards in response to giveaway offers. He had to live in the room until he received 1 million yen worth of goods. It took 15 months and thousands upon thousands of post cards before he reached his goal. As time dragged on, he feared he might be losing his marbles, and jailbreak by dashing into the nearest police station was never far from his mind. But, he stuck it out--twice. After reaching the 1 million yen goal, he was taken to Seoul, where he was told to earn enough giveaways to pay for his plane ticket back to Japan.
Nasubi's ordeal began in January last year when producer Toshio Tsuchiya set out to pick an aspiring comedian for the undertaking. Since the only job requirement was that the person be blessed with luck, Nasubi got the job by having his name drawn in a lottery.
The Yomiuri Shimbun interviewed the 23-year-old comedian, who just recently emerged from his personal hell.
Yomiuri: Immediately after you were chosen, you were ushered into a bare room with a low table piled high with postcards. You were told to strip off your clothes and start applying for giveaways until you received 1 million yen worth of goods. What did you think would happen?
I had no clue. It sounds strange, but I felt young back then, full of aspirations and determined to become famous. I was on top of the world because I thought it was a foot in the door. Well, it turned into a darkness in the blink of an eye.
What had you been doing before the giveaway challenge?
I was interested in the showbiz world, especially humor. I came to Tokyo to try my luck. I did live comedy shows whenever I got a chance. TV appearances were limited to those showcasing aspiring comedians. And sometimes, I did TV commercials.
Does Lady Luck usually smile on you?
I don't remember winning anything. I have never hit on anything, whether it be a prize in the national lottery or a car. My life was very run-of-the-mill; it feels like I hit a big one this time.
What is the most memorable item you won?
Packs of gelatin desert (the first item won after two weeks of applying). I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Did you ever feel you were on the verge of a nervous breakdown, or that you were going bananas?
Almost every day. I had time on my hands, so I started to think of this and that. Sometimes I couldn't sleep.
You looked as if you were enjoying yourself.
What you saw were highlights of a whole week, the parts where I was acting funny. But it was a daily struggle.
You couldn't help but to dance the so-called winning dances?
It's a name the crew gave it. It's just that your body starts to move when you experience something really joyous.
Your journal (compiled into a book and published) is fun to read--with all those difficult kanji and expressions you use.
I said to myself, "A good Japanese man should respect his language." I am like an old man when it comes to things of this nature. It was a protest against modern times when, written English is are all over the place. I used to write comedy skits with a dictionary in my hand, and that probably helped me.
How do you describe your life during the challenge?
I lived the life of an animal. Whenever I had something delivered, my first thoughts would be about whether it was edible. I thought of escaping several times. I was on the edge, especially toward the end.
Were there times when you thought that it wasn't so bad?
For brief, fragmented moments when I ate (expensive) matsutake mushrooms or lobsters. But I would never, ever do it again.
How are you feeling these days?
For a while, I savored the days of not writing postcards. Since I was tucked away from the real world for so long, I am still feeling fuzzy.
What are your plans?
I'm not sure how I can utilize what I have learned in my giveaway-challenge days, but hopefully I can do something by drawing upon the experience.
Any words of advice for those who might want to live on giveaways?
Rise early and lead a healthy life. I don't recommend it, though.
Any message for your fans?
All the while you were rooting for me, and I wasn't even aware of it. I take that to heart and consider it my mission to live up to your support. Please continue giving me your assurances for a long time to come.
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