The excellent casting of the NHK special where AKB’s Takahashi Minami discussed the modern youth
By Mizushima Hiroaki
![]()
Translation
Surprised by the intelligence of Takahashi Minami
January 11th (Saturday) of the 3-day holiday that included Seijin no Hi. NHK aired a debate program where various men and women from different generations discussed “the youth and how society should be.” In this program, AKB48’s Takahashi Minami showed us a new side.
Different from her usual persona of getting laughs on variety programs or showing her hardwork as the AKB general manager, she talked seriously about today’s youth with sociologists, commentators, and business owners. What showed was her intelligence and her mature side.
The program’s content was as below:
"NHK special "Japan’s rebirth series - Where to for the Japanese youth? A debate: adults’ worries x the young generation’s honest thoughts"
Japan’s rebirth series, a debate program where ordinary citizens participate. As Seijin no Hi approaches, we think about the future of our youth. 3 out of 1 in the workforce are under irregular employment. There is an increasing number of people who cannot become a full-time permanent employee even if they want to, especially among young people. With pension and medical burdens increasing, a government study found that almost half of the young population are uncertain of their future. “Satori-sedai” (enlightened generation): an expression used to describe Japan’s young people, who are content with their current lives while carrying uncertainties for the future. A generation that does not know of rapid economic growth (Japan post-WWII) nor bubble economy. Work, marriage, daily life… Those values have significantly changed now. As a university’s class on how to get married is introduced, we interviewed those who search for new ideas of work, such as a woman who has made cosplaying as an anime character her job, a man who make a living by doing various small jobs instead of working for a single company. We invited students, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and other young people from different backgrounds to the studio to debate how to live with dreams and hopes for the future and what is being sought from the Japanese society.”
(*Program description source: NHK official site)
The participants included Furuichi Noritoshi (sociologist), Uno Tsunehiro (commentator), Izutsu Kazuyuki (movie director), Haruka Yoko (tarento, writer), AKB’s Takahashi Minami, young people who work as an idol producer or a cosplayer, babyboomers, business owners such as Lawson CEO Niinami Takeshi, freelancers, contract employees, and college students, all from various generations. They discussed how to evaluate today’s young population, called the “satori-sedai,” who don’t set their goals high, and how to interact with them.
The number of people who stay unmarried are increasing. “It’s more fun to spend time with the same sex” (female college student), “I was told by my 19-year-old son (who has no intentions to get married) to not expect grandchildren from him” (45-year-old housewife). Criticisms, such as “They don’t dream big,” are raised.
I was surprised by the accuracy of Takahashi Minami’s expressions throughout that.
"Youth’s dreams" explained by Takahashi Minami
inline_placeholder.png
(If you can’t see the video, here’s the link: http://goo.gl/hVHOYA)
(*Video via Naver Matome)
"I think it’s the adults you come into contact with that are the start button of changing your future. Honestly. When I first joined AKB, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was like, ‘What should I do?’ But Akimoto-san would say, ‘Let’s do Kohaku,’ or, ‘Let’s do the Budokan,’ and because he had big dreams for us, it allowed us to say, ‘Ok, then let’s aim for that.’ On the way toward those goals, the encouragements from adults around us fomented our confidence to say, ‘Oh, I see!’ Depending on some people, there were girls who were told they were no good by adults, and when you run into those types of people, it breaks you, but if you’re told, ‘You’re fine, you can do this!,’ you’ll grow."
Nowadays, people who can use the word “foment” on their own are only college students who read a lot, and being a university faculty, running into those types of young people is a rare occasion.
She has great control over the language as shown by her use of the “start button” metaphor. Similar to above, there are not many young people who can use a metaphor like this, even among college students. With this comment alone, it is obvious that she is a woman who often spends her time thinking about things. I’ve seen her talking on variety shows, but I did not expect her to be able to use such accurate expressions.
Takahashi Minami had most often been more of a comic relief and has not clearly shown her intelligence like she has here. Furthermore, she has greatly performed the role of a competent contributor throughout the whole broadcast.
Seeing Takahashi Minami’s comment in print, it is an easy-to-follow thought with no unnecessary expressions.
There was a comment from the young generation, saying, “We think of not creating any negatives (rather than creating positives),” and a gap forged between that and Niinami Takeshi’s comment of “We only think of (creating) positives.”
Harada Yohei, a researcher from Hakuhodo Brand Design’s Youth Life Lab, who analyzed today’s young people in the book “The Satori-sedai: Young people who don’t hit the road with a stolen motorcycle” (there is a song by Ozaki Yutaka called “15 no Yoru” with lyrics that say “hitting the road with a stolen motorcycle”), also made an appearance and stated, “The young generation who are from the post-maturity stage of the economy can’t help but to focus their attention to the fact that their living environment provided by their parents would not deteriorate.”
Issues of work styles, such as “black companies” (companies that overwork their employees, exercise harassment/discrimination, and treat employees horribly in general) and “irregular employment,” are also topics. Haruka Yoko reveals her relatives’ situation by saying, “Among my many nephews, most of them have irregular employment,” and points out, “In the past, freelancers who were enjoying ‘freedom in their work life’ are now in their 40’s and 50’s living in poverty.”
Regarding this, Niinami Takeshi, who says, “Have a dream,” and business owners, who advocate endurance of hardships, squared off against Uno Tsunehiro, who criticizes “middle-aged men thinking” and made comments such as, “Telling us to persevere because the world is harsh, making us believe we have to be so focused on something narrow-minded, chanting mantras no one believes in, pretending to be a young person an older business manager would find likable, game over if you don’t land a full-time permanent position no matter what.”
After Niinami commented, “People have to go vote if they want to change the society,” and sparked a debate on political participation, Takahashi Minami made a comment.
"Young people’s political awareness" explained by Takahashi Minami
"I don’t think it will change (by voting), but I do go. Honestly, people in their teens and 20’s don’t really expect voting to change anything and don’t have faith in the adults. What should be done is, there are some areas where adults need to change, in addition to where young people apply their strengths.
Being a group helps me realize this, but young people are coming in. I’m 22, and 14-year-olds come in and I think I have to teach them all these things… I’m first generation and they’re 15th generation, so even if I say, “It’s like this and this, and there’s this kind of history here,” “AKB is this type of group, so we have to do these things,” the younger girls are like, “Huh?” The younger group have their own rules and are living in their own way. When that happened, it made me realize that we have to adjust to the younger group and create something together.”
Takahashi Minami’s position is a unique one where she understands the strengths and weaknesses of both the young generation and the older generation. One can say that she is a bridge between the 2 opposing sides. For normal debates, this role would be taken on by a skilled commentator for balance.
The show introduces “young people who have low-paying but fulfilling jobs,” such as a woman who looks for people to take in stray dogs and gets young hikikomori people to participate in the care of the dog to help them reintegrate into society. This footage was to prove there are young people out there who have great goals, but a woman in her 30’s, who had failed to land a full-time permanent job and started managing a concert venue in Akihabara, shared her experience by saying, “No one taught me how to start a business,” leading Furuichi Noritoshi, a sociologist, to point out that the entrepreneurial system is quite primitive in comparison to the Western world.
The debate then converges into the necessity of “a system where society takes on the risk in case of failure.” At the end, Miyake Tamio, the host of the show, asked Takahashi Minami to summarize the entire discussion.
A “summary” statement at a debate program even though she’s an idol
"I’m sitting on the young generation’s side, but I really enjoy talking to adults. We’re, I’m 22 right now, but you guys (the adults) have lived life longer and have experience more things, so to absorb all those things, communication, or rather listening to what you have to say, will definitely be beneficial to us. There was a comment about it being better if young people only associate with each other, but from a result-oriented standpoint, I think it will lead to more strength if we all cooperate."
Takahashi Minami was the one who summarized the show.
A comment that went beyond generational boundaries and proposed cooperation among youth and adults in shaping the Japanese society, and not just a diplomatic statement, but a confident one formed by her own experiences to wrap up the show.
Thinking about it, I have never heard of an idol summarizing at an NHK debate program.
Her “mature” comments made headlines on the Internet too
"Takahashi Minami, her comments in the NHK debate program are ‘too grown up’: career views, societal issues, …"
"(skip to the end) The older generation nodded in agreement with Takahashi’s comments. This gave us a glimpse of the ‘mature thinking’ Takahashi had cultivated in her role as leader of a huge, popular group."
(*Article excerpt source: Business Journal)
The casting that determines the “value” of a debate program
This show was the first in which I witnessed the “intellect” of Takahashi Minami, but her aside, it was a very interesting debate.
In debate programs, the critical success factor is the casting of participants.
With the presence of Takahashi Minami in addition to debators Uno Tsunehiro, Furuichi Noritoshi, and Haruka Yoko, one would normally assume that she was invited to secure viewership as a familiar face and to provide flare. A commercial TV show would usually add some tarento even to debates with an uptight, scholarly atmosphere to make playful comments and diffuse the tension. That’s how it is. But in this case, Takahashi went beyond her role as “tension diffuser,” confidently expressed her opinions, and showed her intellectual side. This was unexpected for the viewers too. Takahashi Minami will surely receive more opportunities from now on to make successful appearances on “intellectual shows.”
With Oshima Yuko’s graduation announcement at Kohaku, AKB’s generation change progresses further, but it’s possible for Takahashi Minami to make it on her own, given her favorable reviews of being a “lively guest” and being “able to do not only variety, but also intellectual themes.” Though her position as an “adult” in the role of “AKB general manager” may be her lifeline for sometime.
In any sense, hats off to the NHK production staff who made this casting choice.
Opinions among business owners and employees clearly differ regarding “black companies” and “irregular employment,” and political disputes could likely happen.
In this show too, there were debates on policy and political participation, but with the middle ground, or catalyst in some sense, named Takahashi Minami, they turned into a “enjoyable and constructive discussion” aimed towards compromises that overcame differences in perspectives and the summarizing of everyone’s thoughts.
To raise an example, in response to Niinami Takeshi emphasizing the importance of striving towards one’s dream, Haruka Yoko and Uno Tsunehiro, who sharply criticizes that idea, were seen talking in a humorous and relaxed tone without attacking the idea full on, exhibiting the “Takamina Effect.”
(skip to the 4th sentence from last)
This broadcast of the NHK special became significantly more relatable with the addition of Takahashi Minami. You can even say that casting her was what made the show successful.
(skip to last sentence)
It’s exciting to see how Takahashi Minami, who became an intellectual idol overnight, will spread her wings in the future.
source/a>
By Mizushima Hiroaki
Translation
Surprised by the intelligence of Takahashi Minami
January 11th (Saturday) of the 3-day holiday that included Seijin no Hi. NHK aired a debate program where various men and women from different generations discussed “the youth and how society should be.” In this program, AKB48’s Takahashi Minami showed us a new side.
Different from her usual persona of getting laughs on variety programs or showing her hardwork as the AKB general manager, she talked seriously about today’s youth with sociologists, commentators, and business owners. What showed was her intelligence and her mature side.
The program’s content was as below:
"NHK special "Japan’s rebirth series - Where to for the Japanese youth? A debate: adults’ worries x the young generation’s honest thoughts"
Japan’s rebirth series, a debate program where ordinary citizens participate. As Seijin no Hi approaches, we think about the future of our youth. 3 out of 1 in the workforce are under irregular employment. There is an increasing number of people who cannot become a full-time permanent employee even if they want to, especially among young people. With pension and medical burdens increasing, a government study found that almost half of the young population are uncertain of their future. “Satori-sedai” (enlightened generation): an expression used to describe Japan’s young people, who are content with their current lives while carrying uncertainties for the future. A generation that does not know of rapid economic growth (Japan post-WWII) nor bubble economy. Work, marriage, daily life… Those values have significantly changed now. As a university’s class on how to get married is introduced, we interviewed those who search for new ideas of work, such as a woman who has made cosplaying as an anime character her job, a man who make a living by doing various small jobs instead of working for a single company. We invited students, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and other young people from different backgrounds to the studio to debate how to live with dreams and hopes for the future and what is being sought from the Japanese society.”
(*Program description source: NHK official site)
The participants included Furuichi Noritoshi (sociologist), Uno Tsunehiro (commentator), Izutsu Kazuyuki (movie director), Haruka Yoko (tarento, writer), AKB’s Takahashi Minami, young people who work as an idol producer or a cosplayer, babyboomers, business owners such as Lawson CEO Niinami Takeshi, freelancers, contract employees, and college students, all from various generations. They discussed how to evaluate today’s young population, called the “satori-sedai,” who don’t set their goals high, and how to interact with them.
The number of people who stay unmarried are increasing. “It’s more fun to spend time with the same sex” (female college student), “I was told by my 19-year-old son (who has no intentions to get married) to not expect grandchildren from him” (45-year-old housewife). Criticisms, such as “They don’t dream big,” are raised.
I was surprised by the accuracy of Takahashi Minami’s expressions throughout that.
"Youth’s dreams" explained by Takahashi Minami
inline_placeholder.png
(If you can’t see the video, here’s the link: http://goo.gl/hVHOYA)
(*Video via Naver Matome)
"I think it’s the adults you come into contact with that are the start button of changing your future. Honestly. When I first joined AKB, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I was like, ‘What should I do?’ But Akimoto-san would say, ‘Let’s do Kohaku,’ or, ‘Let’s do the Budokan,’ and because he had big dreams for us, it allowed us to say, ‘Ok, then let’s aim for that.’ On the way toward those goals, the encouragements from adults around us fomented our confidence to say, ‘Oh, I see!’ Depending on some people, there were girls who were told they were no good by adults, and when you run into those types of people, it breaks you, but if you’re told, ‘You’re fine, you can do this!,’ you’ll grow."
Nowadays, people who can use the word “foment” on their own are only college students who read a lot, and being a university faculty, running into those types of young people is a rare occasion.
She has great control over the language as shown by her use of the “start button” metaphor. Similar to above, there are not many young people who can use a metaphor like this, even among college students. With this comment alone, it is obvious that she is a woman who often spends her time thinking about things. I’ve seen her talking on variety shows, but I did not expect her to be able to use such accurate expressions.
Takahashi Minami had most often been more of a comic relief and has not clearly shown her intelligence like she has here. Furthermore, she has greatly performed the role of a competent contributor throughout the whole broadcast.
Seeing Takahashi Minami’s comment in print, it is an easy-to-follow thought with no unnecessary expressions.
There was a comment from the young generation, saying, “We think of not creating any negatives (rather than creating positives),” and a gap forged between that and Niinami Takeshi’s comment of “We only think of (creating) positives.”
Harada Yohei, a researcher from Hakuhodo Brand Design’s Youth Life Lab, who analyzed today’s young people in the book “The Satori-sedai: Young people who don’t hit the road with a stolen motorcycle” (there is a song by Ozaki Yutaka called “15 no Yoru” with lyrics that say “hitting the road with a stolen motorcycle”), also made an appearance and stated, “The young generation who are from the post-maturity stage of the economy can’t help but to focus their attention to the fact that their living environment provided by their parents would not deteriorate.”
Issues of work styles, such as “black companies” (companies that overwork their employees, exercise harassment/discrimination, and treat employees horribly in general) and “irregular employment,” are also topics. Haruka Yoko reveals her relatives’ situation by saying, “Among my many nephews, most of them have irregular employment,” and points out, “In the past, freelancers who were enjoying ‘freedom in their work life’ are now in their 40’s and 50’s living in poverty.”
Regarding this, Niinami Takeshi, who says, “Have a dream,” and business owners, who advocate endurance of hardships, squared off against Uno Tsunehiro, who criticizes “middle-aged men thinking” and made comments such as, “Telling us to persevere because the world is harsh, making us believe we have to be so focused on something narrow-minded, chanting mantras no one believes in, pretending to be a young person an older business manager would find likable, game over if you don’t land a full-time permanent position no matter what.”
After Niinami commented, “People have to go vote if they want to change the society,” and sparked a debate on political participation, Takahashi Minami made a comment.
"Young people’s political awareness" explained by Takahashi Minami
"I don’t think it will change (by voting), but I do go. Honestly, people in their teens and 20’s don’t really expect voting to change anything and don’t have faith in the adults. What should be done is, there are some areas where adults need to change, in addition to where young people apply their strengths.
Being a group helps me realize this, but young people are coming in. I’m 22, and 14-year-olds come in and I think I have to teach them all these things… I’m first generation and they’re 15th generation, so even if I say, “It’s like this and this, and there’s this kind of history here,” “AKB is this type of group, so we have to do these things,” the younger girls are like, “Huh?” The younger group have their own rules and are living in their own way. When that happened, it made me realize that we have to adjust to the younger group and create something together.”
Takahashi Minami’s position is a unique one where she understands the strengths and weaknesses of both the young generation and the older generation. One can say that she is a bridge between the 2 opposing sides. For normal debates, this role would be taken on by a skilled commentator for balance.
The show introduces “young people who have low-paying but fulfilling jobs,” such as a woman who looks for people to take in stray dogs and gets young hikikomori people to participate in the care of the dog to help them reintegrate into society. This footage was to prove there are young people out there who have great goals, but a woman in her 30’s, who had failed to land a full-time permanent job and started managing a concert venue in Akihabara, shared her experience by saying, “No one taught me how to start a business,” leading Furuichi Noritoshi, a sociologist, to point out that the entrepreneurial system is quite primitive in comparison to the Western world.
The debate then converges into the necessity of “a system where society takes on the risk in case of failure.” At the end, Miyake Tamio, the host of the show, asked Takahashi Minami to summarize the entire discussion.
A “summary” statement at a debate program even though she’s an idol
"I’m sitting on the young generation’s side, but I really enjoy talking to adults. We’re, I’m 22 right now, but you guys (the adults) have lived life longer and have experience more things, so to absorb all those things, communication, or rather listening to what you have to say, will definitely be beneficial to us. There was a comment about it being better if young people only associate with each other, but from a result-oriented standpoint, I think it will lead to more strength if we all cooperate."
Takahashi Minami was the one who summarized the show.
A comment that went beyond generational boundaries and proposed cooperation among youth and adults in shaping the Japanese society, and not just a diplomatic statement, but a confident one formed by her own experiences to wrap up the show.
Thinking about it, I have never heard of an idol summarizing at an NHK debate program.
Her “mature” comments made headlines on the Internet too
"Takahashi Minami, her comments in the NHK debate program are ‘too grown up’: career views, societal issues, …"
"(skip to the end) The older generation nodded in agreement with Takahashi’s comments. This gave us a glimpse of the ‘mature thinking’ Takahashi had cultivated in her role as leader of a huge, popular group."
(*Article excerpt source: Business Journal)
The casting that determines the “value” of a debate program
This show was the first in which I witnessed the “intellect” of Takahashi Minami, but her aside, it was a very interesting debate.
In debate programs, the critical success factor is the casting of participants.
With the presence of Takahashi Minami in addition to debators Uno Tsunehiro, Furuichi Noritoshi, and Haruka Yoko, one would normally assume that she was invited to secure viewership as a familiar face and to provide flare. A commercial TV show would usually add some tarento even to debates with an uptight, scholarly atmosphere to make playful comments and diffuse the tension. That’s how it is. But in this case, Takahashi went beyond her role as “tension diffuser,” confidently expressed her opinions, and showed her intellectual side. This was unexpected for the viewers too. Takahashi Minami will surely receive more opportunities from now on to make successful appearances on “intellectual shows.”
With Oshima Yuko’s graduation announcement at Kohaku, AKB’s generation change progresses further, but it’s possible for Takahashi Minami to make it on her own, given her favorable reviews of being a “lively guest” and being “able to do not only variety, but also intellectual themes.” Though her position as an “adult” in the role of “AKB general manager” may be her lifeline for sometime.
In any sense, hats off to the NHK production staff who made this casting choice.
Opinions among business owners and employees clearly differ regarding “black companies” and “irregular employment,” and political disputes could likely happen.
In this show too, there were debates on policy and political participation, but with the middle ground, or catalyst in some sense, named Takahashi Minami, they turned into a “enjoyable and constructive discussion” aimed towards compromises that overcame differences in perspectives and the summarizing of everyone’s thoughts.
To raise an example, in response to Niinami Takeshi emphasizing the importance of striving towards one’s dream, Haruka Yoko and Uno Tsunehiro, who sharply criticizes that idea, were seen talking in a humorous and relaxed tone without attacking the idea full on, exhibiting the “Takamina Effect.”
(skip to the 4th sentence from last)
This broadcast of the NHK special became significantly more relatable with the addition of Takahashi Minami. You can even say that casting her was what made the show successful.
(skip to last sentence)
It’s exciting to see how Takahashi Minami, who became an intellectual idol overnight, will spread her wings in the future.
source/a>