Documentary shows brutal reality TV experiment Japanese man lived naked in front of the camera for 15 months
A man alone, locked naked in a small room for 15 months with the aim of surviving by winning games - this is the story of one of Japan's most controversial TV experiments.
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- Nasubi, a man from Japan, was locked up naked in a small apartment for 15 months in 1998 and had to try to survive by winning competitions.
- The brutal TV experiment took its toll on Nasubi's mental health.
- The show became hugely popular, with millions of people watching Nasubi's suffering live without knowing how much he was really going through.
- The documentary "The Contestant" shows how the desire for authentic drama and entertainment can lead to an ethical gray area.
Reality TV is known for its often questionable formats, but rarely has a show pushed the boundaries of human dignity as mercilessly as "Susunu! Denpa Shōnen" in Japan almost 27 years ago.
The documentary "The Contestant ", which was recently released on Hulu, revisits this story and focuses on the harsh reality of the format.
In January 1998, 22-year-old Tomoaki Hamatsu, then an unknown comedian dreaming of a career in show business, signed up for what he thought would be a rather unusual but routine TV challenge - not realizing how extreme his isolation would be.
Without clothes for months
Hamatsu's nickname "Nasubi" (translated "eggplant") was soon given to him because of the emoji used to censor his genitals on air.
The concept of the show was simple but brutal: Nasubi was locked in a small apartment, completely naked and isolated. His only way to survive was to enter competitions in magazines and win the things he needed - be it food, clothes or other essential items.
As soon as he entered the room, Nasubi had to undress - and if he was lucky, one of the prizes he won might be a piece of clothing. Spoiler: Nasubi wasn't lucky and was naked for months.
17 million people watched
He started with nothing but water and a small stove. He was supposed to earn the rest of the things he needed to survive by winning competitions. He was allowed to keep everything he won. He also had a pen, a blank postcard, a telephone and magazines with competitions.
Excerpts from "Susunu! Denpa Shōnen"
Unlike typical game shows where the contestants are deliberately in front of the camera, Nasubi did not know that his fight for survival would be broadcast live to millions of viewers on Nippon TV and ultimately streamed online around the clock.
Nasubi thought his experiences were only being recorded for later editing and broadcast as a TV special; the producers deliberately concealed from him the fact that his experiences were being watched by up to 17 million people every week.
No luck with competitions
The original goal was for Nasubi to win one million yen worth of prizes - around 11,000 francs at the time - a sum that would secure his release, according to the producers. But the task proved to be much more difficult than expected.
Nasubi competed for thousands of winnings over months, only to win mostly absurd or unusable items in his situation, such as a tent that was too big for his small space, a bicycle with no place to ride, car tires, movie tickets or even a live lobster.
Nasubi lived on meager gains, such as sacks of rice or cans of dog food that he couldn't even open for lack of tools. For days on end, he survived on fiber gelatin, which pushed him to his physical and mental limits. He often lacked basic necessities such as toilet paper. He was cold, homesick and sometimes even on the verge of starvation.
"I thought I was going to die."
The stress of living in these conditions was enormous. In an interview in the documentary, Nasubi recalled how he couldn't shut out the camera. "It was as if my life was no longer my own." And: "I thought I was going to die."
The perfidious thing about it: the door to the apartment wasn't even locked, but Nasubi's nudity kept him trapped. "I kept imagining my situation if I left the room naked. I would be arrested by the police and my family would have to live with the consequences," says the now 49-year-old in the documentary.
The experiment lasted 15 months. There were phases in which Nasubi had nothing to eat for days on end and felt physically exhausted. Every small achievement - a packet of rice or a can of soup - became a big deal, a triumph over the inhumane conditions.
The beginnings of reality TV
The show was edited to humorously portray the desperate moments and sell Nasubi's suffering as entertainment. Viewers only got to see the "amusing" moments: they saw the comedian dancing and making faces. Hardly anyone knew what was going on behind the scenes.
The inevitable question arises: how complicit is the audience? The show started in the same year as "The Truman Show" and addressed similar needs of its viewers. Over time, the series evolved from a tightly edited weekly segment to a webcam phenomenon that was streamed live around the clock.
It was only after the show ended that people began to question how ethical it was to put someone on display in such extreme isolation and under such conditions.
Final show: Nasubi in shock
However, in 1998, experience with reality TV was still quite limited. It was a time before formats such as "Expedition Robinson" in Switzerland or "Big Brother" in Germany popularized the genre in Europe in 2000.
Manipulation for ratings
The documentary, which is being shown on Hulu, is also an examination of what happens when the urge for authenticity and entertainment pushes moral boundaries. It shows how the producers deliberately overstepped these boundaries and risked the mental and physical health of the participant.
The "Nasubi Experiment" is now considered a cultural case study on the dark side of reality TV, showing how far media can (could?) go to manipulate their participants and audiences for entertainment purposes.
Nasubi says on inews: "To this day, people approach me when they recognize me and tell me how funny they thought the show was - and ask if I wouldn't do it again."
Advocate for resilience
Nasubi has tried to turn his experience into something positive. After the nuclear disaster in his native Fukushima in 2011, Nasubi found a meaningful use for his notoriety.
As a tribute to the victims, he climbed Mount Everest - an action that again entailed isolation, risk and a possible lack of food. However, Nasubi was finally recognized on his own terms.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also became an advocate for mental health and resilience, using his experiences to give advice to people suffering from quarantine-induced loneliness.
