Friday will see the plug finally pulled on "News Station," the popular TV Asahi show that has made a virtue of breaking journalistic taboos during its 18-year run.
Anchored by Hiroshi Kume, the show debuted in 1985, allowing its presenters a hitherto unseen freedom of expression.
While newscasters had previously stayed poker-faced in an effort to convey their impartiality, their "News Station" counterparts were not averse to cracking jokes or even delivering sharp political asides.