Why is it so relaxing to just walk around… Bananaman Himura “Imperial Palace Walking” found and photographed.

During this season, there are many joggers around the moat of the Imperial Palace, and at lunchtime in mid-December, one of them stands out from the crowd. A slightly overweight middle-aged man in sportswear and walking style. He was Yuki Himura, 50, of “Bananaman. Behind him, a line of men were walking in a row. Each of them is carrying a selfie stick, a large microphone with a windshield, a walkie-talkie, and what looks like a script in his hand. The group is called “Bananaman Himutaro Walking! Walking Himutaro” (BS Asahi).

This program, which started last October, was created by Himura, who had been walking as part of his daily routine for his health, and who said, “I want to make a program that focuses on walking. He himself suggested the places to walk, and during the 30-minute broadcast time, the show is just a casual walk, but it seems to be popular with viewers because it is somewhat funny or has a heartwarming atmosphere.

Indeed, as the group descends the long slope of Kudanshita, with Himura leading the way as they walk nonchalantly with their eyes fixed on the road ahead, no one seems to be engaged in conversation. No one seemed to be conversing with each other. Himura’s eyes were not smiling at all as he stopped along the way and gazed blankly at the moat and the stone wall. But that feeling is somehow funny. A senior executive at a commercial TV station commented on Nimura’s charm.

He walks so much every week, but he doesn’t lose any weight. The program’s home page shows Himura with very firm cheeks and body shape, but after more than a year of the program, he ends up looking chubby, and that’s what’s so funny.

Aika Kanda (42), Nimura’s wife, said this about the phenomenon at a variety show she appeared on in August of this year.

She said, “When the first state of emergency was declared after the COVID-19 crisis, everyone’s work stopped, didn’t it? At that time, I was able to monitor my husband 24 hours a day for about a month. I was at home. That’s when I lost a lot of weight. But after that, I started working on location again, and I gained weight again.”

It would be no exaggeration to say that these funny episodes, which Kanda has been sharing since her marriage in 2018, have also boosted Nimura’s popularity.

Kanda said, “The basis of Nimura’s laughter is self-deprecation, and he never says anything demeaning to others. Kanda and his partner, Shitara Osamu (48), are no different. In addition, you can see from the screen how well they get along as a couple and how well they get along as a duo. The two Bananaman members refer to each other by “san” and it is clear that they respect each other, and it is pleasant for viewers to see such a duo.

Bananaman is now catching up with SANDWICHMAN, the number one most likable TV personality. This momentum is likely to continue next year.