The best way to win money on a game show in Japan is to already be famous.

One quirk of Japanese TV is that, with a few exceptions, the game shows are populated by celebrities. For example, Japan’s version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire had a mostly celebrities and a few ordinary people. There’s also a show called Panel Quiz Attack 25 (yes, its real name) which features ordinary people playing the game, and there used to be a game where a father had to learn how to juggle boxes, or shoot baskets, or carry soba boxes across obstacles on bicycle for $10,000 dollars in prizes, but for the most part, everything else is played by celebrities.

What’s also different is the celebrities aren’t earning money for their favorite charities; they are actually playing to win cash for themselves (or actually their management agencies) and are excited when they win the cash.

There are a lot of reasons for this. One reason, or perhaps theory, is that Japanese aren’t supposed to attract attention to themselves. To go on a show and win lots of money is the ultimate act of standing out and selfishness in a country where everyone is supposed to blend in and contribute to the group.

That said, I don’t actually believe this reason is as important as some people have said it is.

The other reason, and the reason I believe, is that being a Japanese celebrity sucks. Japan’s celebrity culture is basically Hollywood back when actors worked for the studios and not for themselves. As a result, actors earn a salary from their managers and not from their commercial and acting contracts. I remember hearing that one member of what was, at the time, the hottest singing group in Japan, made barely $40,000 per year despite a busy schedule and several number one hits.

Because of this, actors and comedians and models are forced into as many jobs as possible. This includes game shows, commercials, TV dramas and the occasional movie. Because it’s possible to do more commercials than movies, most Japanese actors do commercials and work in television. To have an actor work exclusively in movies, like the late, great Ken Takakura, is very rare. It’s also rare for such an actor to have a respected name in Japan.

The result is that you see the same faces all the time and, in an odd way, get to know them. You learn who hates cucumbers and who is afraid of heights. In fact, there used to be a talk show where celebrities would eat four dishes, including something they hated, and the other celebrity had to guess which was the hated food.

You also figure out pretty quickly, who you wish would go away. Luckily, that happens pretty quickly in Japan. (But that’s another post.)