The idea for "Go! Denpa Shounen" was also inspired by my travel experiences." (Tsuchiya)
The second part of the talk session was titled "Media / Startup Executives Travel Talk" and brought together key figures from various media and CEOs of start-up companies. Full of energy to pave the way for the next era, they have put into practice a style of travel that seems outrageous. From their conversation, we can see the vitality that travel can have, and the way travel can be a source of ideas.
Toshio Tsuchiya
A producer at Nippon Television, known for the hugely popular program "Susume! Denpa Shounen."
Kosuke Tanabe
At NHK Enterprises, he is developing the "8K:VR Project" and the NHK WORLD promotional project "DJ Domo."
Toshihiro Shimizu
He works at Fuji Television and is the manager of the news media "Houdou Kyoku."
Ichiro Amimori
Representative of Xenoma, a venture company currently developing "e-skin," a smart apparel company that integrates sensors that measure muscle movement into clothing.
Tsuchiya: The comedy duo Saruganishi's "Hitchhiking Across Eurasia," which has aired on Nippon Television's "Susume! Denpa Shounen" since 1996, was inspired by my own travel experiences. When I went to Europe in 1990 to film East and West Germany, I stayed alone in Paris, and met a suspicious Italian man right in front of the hotel. He asked me to buy an Armani suit he had there, as he needed money to go back to Italy.

Toshio Tsuchiya of Nippon Television
Tsuchiya: I don't usually get fooled by things like that, but for some reason I was tempted at that moment (laughs). I came to my senses and refused, but then I suddenly thought that this kind of thing is interesting when traveling, and I wondered what would happen if I showed it on TV. That's how the Saruganseki project came about.
Shimizu: I am from the generation that was influenced by "Denpa Shounen". When I was a student, I took a trip from Yokohama to Istanbul without using a plane, which took about two and a half months. The most expensive part was the Shinkansen train from Yokohama to Shimonoseki (laughs).

Fuji TV's Toshihiro Shimizu
Amimori: I'm also from the Denpa Shounen generation. I loved it and watched it all the time.
Tsuchiya: In the past, writers like Sawaki Kotaro were representative of exciting travel content (such as the Midnight Express series, a travelogue novel with a backpacker as the main character). Since then, I felt that there was less and less of that kind of content in the world, so I created Denpa Shounen.
"I now see the dangerous journeys I took as a backpacker as a good experience." (Tanabe)
Tanabe: I've been traveling abroad a lot recently to promote the NHK character "Domo-kun's" DJ show "DJ Domo," but I used to travel the world as a backpacker when I was a student. I loved Jack Kerouac, the author of "On the Road," a monumental work of American beat literature. Even now that I'm a working adult, I think traveling alone as a backpacker was a good experience.

Kosuke Tanabe of NHK Enterprises
Shimizu: When I was a student, I flew to Mexico the day after I got a job offer from Fuji Television. I came back to Japan for a moment to register for classes, then went to South America again, then came back for seminar presentations and tests... I did this because I had the image that TV station employees were busy, but in my second year at the company, I took 14 days off, worked all night, went to Narita in the morning, traveled from there, came back to Narita in the morning, went to work, and worked all night again (laughs).
Nishimura: That's hard (laughs).
Shimizu: I've been to many places, including India... I was once attacked by a robber while walking along a cliff in Venezuela. My BABY-G watch was stolen, but I managed to hold on to the $40 I had (laughs).

Tanabe: When I was a backpacker, I went to Kingston, Jamaica, which was said to be one of the most dangerous cities in the world. I liked reggae, so I thought, "It probably isn't that dangerous," but...it was really dangerous because there were a lot of gangs around at the time (laughs). But that was also a good experience.
"China is one of the hottest places for startups," says Amimori.
Nishimura: You all have been to many different places. I met you at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world's largest consumer electronics trade fair held every year in Las Vegas.

Ichiro Amimori of Xenoma Inc. wearing "e-skin," a smart apparel developed by the company that incorporates sensors that measure muscle movement.
Amimori: That's right. When you exhibit around the world, you see that Europe is very conservative, whereas China is really full of tech geeks and very responsive. When I was walking outside the venue after a big exhibition in Shanghai, I was approached by young guys who said things like, "I like your product," and it wasn't for business purposes, just everyday guys. China may be one of the hottest places right now when it comes to startup companies.
"Traveling is a precious time when you can connect with people or not." (Shimizu)
Tsuchiya: When you travel, you discover new things in each place. I am particularly impressed by the "ordinary scenery" in foreign countries. For example, a mother shopping with her child in a rural town in France. These scenes are a little different from the "ordinary scenery" you see in Japan.
Tanabe: Before I go on a trip, I take a good look at the map. Nowadays, you can look up anything you want in an instant with a search, but instead, I enjoy expanding my imagination and delusions on the map, like "This is the city center," "This looks interesting," or "This looks a little dangerous," and then actually confirming them when I get there. I feel like this feeling is similar to when I plan a job.
Speakers
Shimizu: I like traveling alone. When you're with friends, even if you see or eat something, you have to exchange opinions on the spot, like "That's beautiful" or "That's delicious." I think it's important to be in a state where you're simply moved by something without having to put it into words. Also, when you're alone, you can act selfishly according to your feelings. I don't think you get that kind of time when you become an adult.
Traveling alone also increases your chances of communicating with local people. Why not try both disconnected and connected experiences, whether you're abroad or in Japan?
The contents published are accurate at the time of publication and are subject to change.