The Japanese word "idenshi" means "gene," but a homonym that changes the last Chinese character in the compound to "history" alters the meaning slightly. Both are manifest in the title of the special "Seiko no Idenshi" ("History of Successful Inheritance"; Nippon TV, Mon., 7:56 p.m.), hosted by comedian Takeshi "Beat" Kitano.

The program profiles Japanese people whose lives have affected many others, and endeavors to pinpoint the moment in the person's past — a meeting, an idea, a stroke of luck — that determined their destiny. Moreover, what is the basis for greatness?

Among the figures featured on the program are Nobel Prize winners Shinya Yamanaka and Satoshi Omura, athletes Keisuke Honda and Sadaharu Oh, and the ramen chef who received a one-star rating from the Michelin restaurant guide.