Nostalgic Delights: Hidehiko Ishizuka’s Favorite Showa-Era TV Shows

For the Ishizuka Family, the Television Was the Center of the Family

Hello everyone, I hope you’re doing well. I’m Hidehiko Ishizuka, now 63 years old, and I’ve finally come to appreciate the appeal of lean meat.

This time, I’d like to write about the TV programs from the Showa era that I loved. For the Ishizuka family, the television was the center of our household. Whenever we had meals, my parents and older brother would all watch TV together. I think there were many viewer-participation shows back when I was young.

First, there was “Up-Down Quiz” (NET Network, TBS Network). Contestants would ride a gondola, and for every correct answer, the gondola would rise one level. If they answered ten questions correctly, a flight-attendant-like woman carrying a Pan Am bag would come in a stair vehicle to open the gondola door—such was the show.

If you got a question wrong, no matter how high up you were, you’d be sent all the way back down to the bottom—quite a ruthless twist. When one of my elementary school teachers participated, they got a question wrong on the ninth level and, just like that, were dropped to the bottom.

There was also a show called “Diving Quiz” (NET Network), where participants sat on a slide, and every time they got a question wrong, the slide would become steeper. It was a two-person team competition, but some participants, despite being on the steeper side, held out with sheer physical strength and emerged victorious. This show taught me that in life, success requires not just intellect, but physical endurance too.

Another groundbreaking viewer-participation show was “1,000,000 Yen Quiz Hunter” (TV Asahi Network). In this program, ordinary viewers appeared as pairs, and with each correct answer, they could win a prize. But in the latter half, participants who answered correctly could steal prizes already won by others.

Since it featured real everyday people, some of them showed clear displeasure when a prize they wanted to take home was snatched away. It was fun watching popular prizes like luxury hotel stays go back and forth between contestants.

 

On “1,000,000 Yen Quiz Hunter”, unusual and funny answers were common. Among them, one exchange was particularly shocking.

The question:
“‘Office Lady’ is abbreviated as OL. Then, what about ‘steam locomotive’?”

The contestant answered:
“SM?”

The entire studio—and viewers at home—froze in silence. But the host, Hiroshi Yagyū, gave a slightly cheeky smile and responded with a perfectly timed, “Oku-san” (“Ma’am”), which was priceless. Thinking back, it’s surprising they didn’t edit that part out, considering it wasn’t a live broadcast. But that, too, was part of the “Showa” charm.
That said, I do wonder—have all the readers been able to keep up with this topic?

Before I wrap up, one more story. I always looked forward to the opening jokes by Master Shinji Maki, the host of “Taisho TV Yose” (NET / TV Asahi). You could also enjoy acts by top stars like Master Takamine Casey, the Tamagawa Quartet, Master Susumu Sakai, the comedic duo Kyuji and Koji Aozora, and Double Kenji, all on Sunday afternoons.

Aside from the performances, there was also a segment involving the audience. A wagon loaded with prizes would be brought onto the stage, and at the sound of a whistle, the audience would scramble to grab whatever they could—this was the “Bargain Sale.”
Incidentally, my wife also got to participate in that segment when she was in sixth grade.

What do you think? Younger folks might have no idea what I’m talking about, but these were the kinds of shows we had in the Showa era. Shows that made you look forward to tomorrow, to next week. Let’s hope we always have programs like that to enjoy.

 

— From “FRIDAY”, April 25–May 2, 2025 combined issue.