2024-12-02
46 分钟Nasubi had no idea his 15-month fight to survive was being broadcast on Japanese TV. In the late 1990s aspiring comedian Tomoaki Hamatsu, nicknamed Nasubi, lived inside a small room for 15 months surviving off sweepstake competition winnings. He was naked, alone and hungry. He was also completely unaware he had become the most famous television personality in Japan, his life broadcast to millions of viewers each week. A documentary about Nasubi's experience has been made called The Contestant. Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: May Cameron Get in touch: liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784
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This week on Witness History, in partnership with the BBC 100 Women list, we're bringing you stories about inspiring and influential women from around the world.
Renowned feminist Gloria Steinem tells us how she launched the first magazine in America, which was owned, run and written by women.
The the former Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard remembers her famous misogyny speech and Nalini Malani from India explains why she was compelled to create art about nuclear war.
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Park dinosaurs.
Imagine reality TV in its wild west infancy.
It's the late 90s and Japan is in deep recession.
There's a show on television that everyone's talking about.
It's called Denpa Shonen and it recruits aspiring comedians and puts them through grueling survival tasks.
Those who make it onto Denpa Shonen win money and overnight fame.
The most well known of these contestants is a man that everyone calls Nasabee.
Before Nasabi becomes the name on everyone lips, he's just Tomoaki Hamatsu, a 22 year old who wants to make people laugh.
He's auditioning to get on the latest segment of the show.
The producers say it's something they've never tried before, it's so experimental.
They tell him it probably won't make it to air.
But as soon as Nasabe wins the audition, his life as he knows it is over.
He's blindfolded and taken to an apartment.
He's told to strip naked and the producers point him to some magazines on a table.
They tell Nasabi he has to enter sweepstake competitions for all of his sustenance, all of his food and even his freedom have to be won via the magazines.