The Contestant

Before the onslaught of reality television in the West, there was an ominous harbinger in Japan of what was to come. The Contestant traces the experience of aspiring comedian Tomoaki Hamatsu, nicknamed Nasubi.

In 1998, Nasubi thought he was attending an audition when a successful Japanese TV producer enlisted him to take part in a challenge. Nasubi was led into a room, ordered to strip naked and left with a stack of magazines. Nasubi’s task was to fill out contest coupons in order to win what he needed to survive until he reached the prize goal of one million yen. Although Nasubi could have left at any time, he stayed for months with a fierce determination to complete his mission.

What Nasubi didn’t realize was that his experiences were being broadcast to over 15 million people in a TV show called Denpa Shonen: A Life in Prizes. Without his knowledge or consent, Nasubi became the most famous television personality in Japan. Director Clair Titley and producer Megumi Inman bring a revelatory depth of insight by interviewing Nasubi, Tsuchiya and others close to them in this eye-opening documentary.