Japanese TV show about women sprinting up hills and panting adds its first-ever male performers

Japanese TV has a reputation for being pretty weird sometimes, and things don’t get any less unusual once you hit the late-night time slots. Even in that niche, one of the odder programs is broadcaster TV Asahi’s Zenryokuzaka, which translates to “Full-Power Hill” or “All-Out Hill.” Airing at 1:20 a.m. Monday to Thursday, each episode Zenryokuzaka is only six minutes long, including the credits and commercials. That’s because the concept is extremely focused. Each episode, the program introduces a new steeply sloping street, usually somewhere in Tokyo or other nearby cities. After setting the scene, a stylish young woman, usually an actress, entertainer, or other media personality, runs up the hill as fast as she can. As she pumps her legs narrator Mitsuru Fukikoshi intones “This, too, is a hill that makes you want to run up it.” TV Asahi leaves the specific appeal of the program up to the viewer to decide. Japanese TV has several programs that introduce walking or urban exploring courses, so maybe some enjoy Zenryokuzaka as a showcase of picturesque backstreets. Others may appreciate the whimsical athleticism of running full-speed along the street, something just about everyone enjoys doing as a kid, but stops indulging in once they grow up. And, almost certainly, some Zenryokuzaka fans are there for the final seconds of each episode, when the camera lingers on close-ups of the woman, having just come to the top of the hill, panting and sweating post-exertion.