The other night I was watching TV with my wife and father-in-law while we were eating dinner, and it left me with a strange feeling.
The program featured a Japanese husband and wife who met in Ghana and now run a Japanese restaurant there. They have two daughters, and look like they live in a gated community. That part was interesting. But the show spent a lot of time focusing on how harsh life is in Ghana showing people living alongside cows, scavenging garbage for scrap metal to sell, comparing prices of goods to Japan (and making them look surprisingly expensive).
It made me wonder what the actual intention of the program was.
Was it:
- Just standard “overseas hardship” TV content?
- A way of highlighting how fortunate life in Japan is?
- Or something else entirely?
The hosts also tried Ghanaian food and didn’t seem to enjoy it much. Meanwhile my wife kept saying how glad she was to be born in Japan. If you're interested in the segment it can be found here and starts at the 30 minute mark.
I’m not trying to be critical I’m genuinely curious how others interpret these kinds of segments. Are they meant to promote gratitude? Reinforce domestic comfort? Or is this just typical variety TV editing?
Has anyone else noticed this pattern in overseas features?
by AdUnfair558