Japan’s Got Talent' coming to screens in 2023 with Japanese comedian as judge

Sep 17 (Japan Today) - The "Got Talent" franchise is one of the biggest television franchises in the world, with the show being broadcast in over 194 countries worldwide.

There have been original spin-offs in 72 different countries since the show was first piloted in 2006, but for Japanese performers like Yuriyan Retreiver or Mr Uekasa, the lack of a homegrown "Japan’s Got Talent" meant they had to travel abroad to get their talents on a Got Talent stage.

But a recent announcement by Japanese streaming service Ameba TV means any Japanese performers dreaming of being on Got Talent may not need to travel too far anymore, as "Japan’s Got Talent" is finally becoming a reality.

The format of "Japan’s Got Talent" will be the same as other instalments in the Got Talent series; hopeful participants will perform their talent in front of a panel of judges. If their talent is good enough, they will advance to the next round, but if the judges deem their performance unworthy, they’ll press their X-buzzer, and if all judges press their buzzers the contestant is automatically eliminated from the competition. The winner of the competition will net a cool 10 million yen in prize money.

As for who will be pressing the buzzers, famously tart-tongued Japanese comedian Masatoshi Hamada, best known for being one half of legendary comedy duo Downtown, has been announced as one of the judges. The three remaining judges on the panel have yet to be announced. ...continue reading

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