Earlier this month, weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun ran several articles on Nippon Television Network Corp.'s Sunday night variety show, "Sekai no Hate Made Itte Q," claiming that the program had fabricated "festivals" in foreign countries and presented them in one of its semiregular segments as real local events. Allegations of yarase (faking it) are not uncommon in Japanese television, especially when it comes to variety show programming, with its focus on reporting that tests a viewer's capacity for incredulity. The Bunshun pieces betrayed a tone that implied an even greater level of incredulity: Did Nippon TV really think anyone would believe this stuff?

When the Bunshun writer confronted Nippon TV with his suspicions, the company insisted the festivals were genuine. Later, after further scrutiny by other media outlets, Nippon TV walked back its defense and admitted that some things in the segments weren't kosher. The matter is now being investigated by the network and the foreign festival segment has been pulled from the program for the time being.

Given the implausibility quotient of variety show content, this matter shouldn't be that big a deal, but "Itte Q" is one of the most popular TV series in Japan and, more than exposing the show's producers as possible charlatans, the scandal reveals how overconfident Nippon TV has become in an industry that has refused to acknowledge its steady erosion of significance.