Japan

Japanese game shows have reached almost legendary status worldwide. While not typically available on overseas channels, they have become a talking point over the decades on international cultural shows, while many of them are available on platforms such as YouTube.  While game shows in the US and Europe often take the form of some kind of knowledge-based quiz test, Japanese shows often focus around physical endurance and comic absurdity. Contestants are frequently pranked or punished for the audience’s amusement.  Here are some of the most popular shows of the format.  Takeshi’s Castle  Often referred to as the grandfather of Japanese game shows, Takeshi’s Castle began in 1986 and quickly achieved global recognition. It has inspired various game shows the world over, for example Wipeout. The show was presented by renowned film director Takeshi Kitano and featured multiple contestants (100 or more) battling to overcome a variety of obstacles with the objective of storming the castle and defeating the guards.  The results were highly comic and involved the likes of simulated earthquakes, perilous water crossings, and fake explosions. Contestants were eliminated round by round until there were around 10 left for the final challenge, where there was the potential to win…