Encountering Rare Animals!　Hidehiko Ishizuka of “Honjamaka” was surprised by “Memories of Overseas Location Filming

The World is Full of Things We Don’t Know

Hello, everyone. This is Hidehiko Ishizuka, who blushed when I said “Hello” to a foreign tourist on location and he said “Hello” back.

This time, I would like to talk about the overseas locations I was allowed to go to when TV production costs were richer.

First of all, Switzerland. I left Narita Airport with only the image of a “permanent neutral country” that I had learned about in school, and I thought, “It’s probably peaceful.

The first thing that surprised me when I arrived there was how nice the climate was. My skin, which had been sweaty at Narita, was smooth and silky. Switzerland was the first time I put a tissue on my arm and it fell down easily. It is a chubby-friendly country.

On the day of my challenge to the Jungfraujoch, which is located near the summit of the famous Jungfrau peak and is over 3,000 meters above sea level, I visited the tourist office in my usual short sleeves and overalls and was told, “You’re going to die. I was told that the temperature there was minus 12 degrees Celsius, so I hurriedly pulled out my sweatshirt from my suitcase.

The mountain train would take us to the Jungfraujoch. I can climb 3,000 meters without hurting my knees even a millimeter. It is an increasingly chubby-friendly country. However, the tourist office told me something that bothered me. Please don’t get excited when you are there.

I thought to myself, “I’m supposed to frolic,” but as soon as I stepped out of the station near the summit, I understood the meaning of those words. The air pressure was so low that my head hurt as soon as I splashed around.

We made it down the mountain in a short time, impressed by the pointy snow-capped mountains, which I had only seen in the calendar pictures that are often found in restrooms. There are many specialties such as chocolate and cheese fondue. Switzerland is a country I would like to visit again.

The ″healing″ wombat

Next stop is Tasmania, Australia. This is a dream come true for me, as I have always been fascinated by wombats after watching the movie “Tasmanian Tales” a long time ago. I took a boat from the Australian mainland to the island of Tasmania. On the island, there were rare animals such as Tasmanian Devils and wombats.

The wombat I longed to see was about 1 meter long and stocky. When he came into my arms, I guessed he thought we were the same species, and he immediately fell asleep. Too cute.

While I was soaking in the happiness, the attendant told me to give it a tap because its butt was hard. I tried hitting the wombat’s buttocks with a hammer, and it even made a kon-kon sound. It’s cute, too. It is said that it is to protect itself from foreign enemies. Now that the giant panda is gone from Japan, the next “healing” animal is the wombat.

Next is Budapest, Hungary. First of all, the cityscape is wonderful. Buildings that are well over 100 years old line the streets, and the Danube River flows through the center of the city. The Széchenyi Chain Bridge, lit up at night, looks like a necklace of pearls. The city is full of people coming and going, but not a single piece of trash is left behind. Early in the morning, when I looked out the window from my hotel, I saw cleaning staffs cleaning up the city.

Not only the scenery, but also the esthetic and spa facilities are excellent. Most surprising of all was the mountain of canned foie gras piled up next to the cash register of a convenience store-like store. Foie gras, a luxury food in Japan, was being sold as if it were a “famichiki.

I thought I had it all figured out, but there are still many countries and landscapes I have never seen before. Domestic travel is wonderful, but I urge everyone to go abroad while you still have the energy to spare.

From the April 17/24, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY