Takeshi’s Castle: Japan’s Iconic Gameshow

The Japanese game show that changed obstacle courses forever; Takeshi’s Castle was a cult classic game show that aired between 1986 and 1990, and saw players partake in outlandish challenges to become the winner and take the castle, earning themselves 1 million Yen.

Since its origin, Takeshi’s Castle has inspired countless obstacle course game shows that have come after it.

Although, we’re sure many people are no strangers to Takeshi’s Castle. This bizarre and over-the-top obstacle course/onslaught of carnage oozes charm and charisma, and still to this day even 32 years after its halted production we still find ourselves hunting through YouTube’s ‘best of’ clips for a quick laugh.

Like a real-life Squid Game, the contestants are put through the craziest physical challenges we’ve ever seen on an obstacle course game show, and we’re almost certain what they got away with back then would never fly in modern times: thrown into mud, water cannons sprayed into their face, and people getting physically pushed off apparatus into water, or worse, into rolling boulders.

To conquer Takeshi’s Castle meant that you really pushed yourself to the limits. That, or you were just lucky enough that you didn’t hurtle yourself into a fake door and managed to smash through one of the breakable ones.

One of the greatest things about the Japanese show, for better or for worse, is that the people working to stop you from reaching the finish line received so much joy in causing you harm. They would launch balls at your face or throw you out of carts, and not even so much as a sorry was exchanged. They’d just laugh right in your face and do it all over again the next round.