Hilariously Weird Japanese Game Shows

This is the ultimate compilation of crazy Japanese game shows that will make you say “What the hell did I just watch?!”

Although, if you think about the fact that Japan is the country that produces 90% of the world’s weird stuff, this won’t seem so weird after all.

Here are the ten weirdest, most hilarious Japanese game shows out there!

According to Wikipedia, a Japanese variety show is an entertainment television program made up of a variety of original stunts, musical performances, comedy skits, quiz contests, and other acts.

Japanese television programs such as Music Station and Utaban continue in an almost pristine format from the same variety shows of years before. The only major changes have been the increasing disappearance of live backup music since the 1980s.

A once popular host Kyosen Ōhashi said, “Weird shows that are called Variety only exists in Japan.”

One of the more well circulated clips is a segment in Gaki no Tsukai, hosted by the comedy duo Downtown.

In one part, if the male contestants fail to say a tongue-twister correctly, they get struck in the crotch by a spring-loaded pole (The Chinko Machine, or, literally, the Penis Machine), causing great pain. Hitoshi Matsumoto attempted to withdraw but the host – his comedy partner and co-host Masatoshi Hamada, cajoled him back on the platform.

Japanese game shows have gained popularity around the world in recent years. Hole in the Wall or Brain Wall have sold rights to countries like Russia, China, Argentina and Australia. America has even caught on to adapting some of these quirky style game shows.

Both FOX and ABC have purchased rights to different versions of some popular Japanese Games Shows set to air in the Summer and Fall of 2008.

ABC has been sued by TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) for their Wipeout program allegedly copying Sasuke and Takeshi’s Castle.

The BBC also has its own version of Hole in the Wall in the United Kingdom, while Cartoon Network has the American version of Hole in the Wall with Teck Holmes.

Here are two of the strangest Japanese Game Shows, provided byHuffington Post.

Candy Or Not Candy?

In this deliciously hilarious and straightforwardly titled game, celebrity contestants must guess which of several apparently inanimate objects are candy, and which are not candy. They must then take a big, ravenous bite of the objects they believe to be candy, thus ending up with a yummy hunk of sugary goodness or a humiliating mouthful of whatever random item that actually is.

The candy is made from Japanese “sokkuri sweets” that can be molded into crazy-intricate shapes. Below, is he biting into any old picture frame, or one delectable piece of chocolate?

Orgasm Wars

In “Orgasm Wars,” gay men attempt to bring straight men to orgasm, and prove that … well, we’re not really sure what they want to prove. But the narrators sure make it sound like the ultimate sexuality showdown. Below, the straight contestant, who is also a porn star, swears that he will er, come out on top.

So, after some introductions and trash talk, the challenge commences, each man trying to humiliate the other — an apparent trend in Japanese game shows.