Tell me more about this Japanese TV show, Kamiwaza

March 5, 2013 7:49 PM

I saw this cool demonstration of grace and balance on YouTube and now I want more. From the context, it looks like the 2013 champion of a Japanese TV Asahi show called Kamiwaza. If this is the champion, you'd think there'd be a dozen or two other performers who weren't quite as awesome as this, but were awesome enough to be worth watching. Google and YouTube don't seem to know much, though. (Although I did learn that Kamizawa is also a PS2 game and apparently a Polish cosmetic brand.) Can anyone tell me more about the show? How long has it been running on Japanese TV? Where can I see more?
posted by Jasper Fnorde to media & arts (4 answers total)

I'm not sure, but I watched the vid, and it was both awesome and completely nervewracking. Amazing stuff.
posted by carter at 8:10 PM on March 5

That was amazing!

I found some context:

Mädir Eugster of the Rigolo Swiss Nouveau Cirque’s recently won Japan’s Kamiwaza 2013 talent show with his incredible ‘Palm Rib Balance’ act. Eugster’s performance takes an insane amount of strength and concentration as it includes balancing 13 palm leaf ribs and one feather on one large palm leaf rib.

from http://www.mostwatchedtoday.com/tag/kamiwaza-feather-balance/

That page includes another video of Eugster at work.

So I'm guessing that Kamiwaza is a general talent show, and that Eugster and the Rigolo circus invented this particular trick.
posted by moonmilk at 8:24 PM on March 5 [2 favorites]

There seems to be several more Kamizawa clips on YouTube.
posted by KokuRyu at 8:43 PM on March 5

Here's the homepage. It looks like a fairly new, non-regular show that's only broadcast once or a few times a year. Fortunately, the show goes by "KAMIWAZA" so you can find the 2012 and 2013 broadcasts on Youku by searching for that (it might be on the other Asian YouTube clones as well like Pandora, FC2, etc.). You might also find something by searching for the Japanese part of the show's name, 神芸, which should turn up some results because it's sort of an invented word.

There's another similar show called 世界1のSHOWタイム that should show up on those same video sites. Also take a look here.
posted by mshrike at 9:44 PM on March 5 [2 favorites]