Kuroyanagi’s favorite person to meet is… “Tetsuko’s Room” P talks about behind the scenes

Tetsuko’s Room” has been in the Guinness Book of Records for its longevity, but lately its “sharp direction” has often become a topic of conversation.

On the August 20 broadcast with Takuzo Kadono as a guest, I thought I saw someone in the window behind him as he was talking, but it was Haruna Kondo of Harisenbon. Kakuno was not informed of Haruna’s appearance, and after a short chat, she left the studio without sitting down, saying, “Well, I have another job to do. Haruna left the studio without sitting down.

On September 20th, Yuzo Kayama appeared as a guest. He talked about his own experience of battling a stroke and cerebellar hemorrhage, and then suddenly, as a surprise, his close friend Kosetsu Minami appeared with a guitar. “Kosetsu Minami, a close friend of Kayama’s, suddenly appeared with his guitar and sang “Tabito Yo” with Kayama as his accompanist, and then left. Mr. Kayama, who seemed to have some difficulty in speaking due to the after-effects of his illness, surprised the viewers by saying, “When he sang, he looked exactly the same as before.

Why has “Tetsuko’s Room,” arguably the most classic of all Japanese TV programs, come up with a series of innovative performances that have caused a stir on social media? I spoke to Atsuko Tahara, the producer of “Tetsuko’s Room” at TV Asahi. According to Ms. Tahara, the main reason is “a recent change in the director of the program.

P. Tahara: “Actually, in the past, when young directors were assigned to ‘Tetsuko’s Room,’ they all requested to be transferred and left immediately, saying they wanted to work on more youth-oriented programs (laughs). (laughs) In the past five years, however, young people have joined us and taken root. The staff has been revitalized, and we have been able to make interesting developments.

The young directors are not afraid to do elaborate productions that veterans hesitate to do, saying, “That’s a bit much ……. They are always willing to take on new challenges, such as inviting more and more surprise guests to the studio, or having guests sing songs or do magic tricks.

In the past, “Tetsuko’s Room” was not popular among young directors, but recently, young staff members have been volunteering to join the program because “Tetsuko Kuroyanagi is very interesting. Such “young ideas” have stimulated the production team to create innovative and sharp productions.

Currently, “Tetsuko’s Room” has a wide range of directors, from those in their 20s to those in their 70s. The reason for having older staff members in their 60s and 70s is “to give Tetsuko-san peace of mind,” and they ask veterans who used to be producers or staff members of the program and have retired to serve as directors. And it seems that the director of “Tetsuko’s Room” needs to have a great deal of reporting and explanation skills.

P. Tahara: “Tetsuko-san looks forward to meeting each guest very much. Before every recording, she always interviews the director. If it’s the first time she’s met the guest, she asks what kind of person they are, and if she knows them, she asks how they are doing these days. The director asks the questions and creates a “Tetsuko memo” based on the answers. That’s why it’s very difficult for directors to be able to do interviews. Young directors in their 20s are assisted by veterans in their 60s.

Another major reason for the “sharp direction” is Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s “strong curiosity.

P. Tahara: “Tetsuko-san really enjoys surprises. We even add more surprises on short notice at Tetsuko’s request. If the host isn’t having fun, the program will inevitably sink, but I think “Tetsuko’s Room” is interesting because Tetsuko enjoys it the most.

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi has recently started a YouTube channel called “Tetsuko’s Caprice TV,” and she’s very happy that Masaharu Fukuyama will be her guest on October 3. She has 1.12 million followers on Instagram and is very curious about new things. He is also very popular among young people.

In “Tetsuko’s Room” itself, there are many viewers who are in their 60s or older, so there is no choice but to choose “mature” guests. However, even in this situation, producer Tahara tries to create a program that will be talked about by younger viewers and on the Internet, so that “the program will become Internet news.

Producer Tahara said, “Tetsuko-san loves seasonal things and people. She doesn’t often express her wishes for guests, but there are several people she wants to meet. The person he wants to meet the most is Shohei Otani. He also likes Hyun Bin from the Korean drama “Love’s Emergency Landing” very much, and says he wants to meet him. He is really curious.

In the past, there was one guest who came to the show at Tetsuko-san’s request. Tahara told us about the “surprising episode” when he invited this guest. The “garden behind the window of Tetsuko’s room,” where Haruna Harisenbon made a surprise appearance, actually has an “unknown setting.

In the second part of this article, Producer Tahara will tell us more about the “hidden story of Tetsuko’s Room” and the “hidden face of his father, Soichiro Tahara.

We also take a look behind the scenes of the studio set!　Producer of “Tetsuko’s Room” Reveals “Behind the Scenes of the Program That Viewers Don’t Know” (Part 2)

Producer Atsuko Tahara: Joined TV Asahi in 1986. After working as a director of wide-ranging shows and documentaries, she worked as a producer of “Sekai no Shashimado Kara” and other programs. She is currently in charge of “Tetsuko’s Room.