AustLit

'A pioneering travelogue from Australia's intrepid writer/documentarian. Clive James finally travels to Japan and finds out for himself what it's like to participate in the kind of crazy game show he has observed for so long when he is a contestant on Takeshi's Castle. Clive also discovers what the Japanese 'salaryman' does to let off steam at the end of his record-breaking productive day. Culture shock hits Clive hard, sitting cross-legged for hours on end, being fed raw fish by Geisha girls and attempting to navigate the Tokyo subway system. All this on top of jet lag! Clive's culture shock worsens as he continues his journey through Japan and is almost flattened by a 35-stone Sumo wrestler and then travels to the health spa of Beppu to be voluntarily buried up to his neck in volcanic sand and simmered like a potato in a boiling sulphur bath, inexplicably full of grapefruits. See what Japan was like back in 1987, with Clive's unique, clever and humourous observations.' (Production summary)