Documentary Tells Naked Truth of Japanese Reality Show
A naked man films himself enduring solitude in a tiny room for months on end.
The Contestant, directed by Clair Titley, explores the story behind the late 1990s hit reality TV show from Japan, A Life in Prizes, in which a comedian nicknamed Nasubi is forced to survive on whatever he can get from mail-in coupons and is denied contact with the outside world.
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023 and is now available to stream on Hulu.
Tomoaki Hamatsu — whose nickname "Nasubi," meaning eggplant in Japanese, refers jokingly to his long chin — never manages to clothe himself, but he dances to celebrate the things he gets, especially food.
The British director Titley said she reached out to Nasubi because she felt no one had ever told his side of the story.
In her documentary, Titley interviews Hamatsu's mother, sister and friend, who express outrage and sorrow for what he endured as well as pride that the show became a hit.
The film also explores Hamatsu's childhood experience of being bullied because of his long chin and how he turned to laughter to protect himself.
Hamatsu says the hardest part of the show was the solitude, although being without clothing — and very little food — for 15 months also took a toll on him. The comedian was moved to tears when he received a standing ovation at a New York screening of the documentary.
"I feel I was able to relay a positive message through the documentary," he said.
The Contestant raises serious questions about how far society might go for entertainment.
The show's producer said in the documentary he just wanted to "capture the moment" and did not mention any reservations about producing the show.
At the end of the documentary, Hamatsu becomes a climber and conquers Mount Everest, a feat he dedicates to his home-prefecture of Fukushima.
Many people think the famous show was the high point of Hamatsu's life, since he is not on TV much anymore, he said.
"But it's just the opposite. That was the worst point in my life. I overcame that. And now I am free to do what I want."
