Mezamashi Media reported that Yuta Watanabe is set to make his debut on the Fuji Television variety game show Chidori no Oni Renchan, joining a team of players from the Chiba Jets to face a squad of celebrity challengers in a new basketball competition airing on October 4 at 7:00 p.m.
Chiba Jets Face Scoring Challenge
The Chiba Jets team features Yuta Watanabe—a veteran of two Olympic Games and the NBA—alongside fellow current Japan national team members Ren Kaneshin and Shuta Hara. Hara brings a heavy physical presence to the floor, standing 187 centimeters tall and weighing 100 kilograms, earning comparisons to a heavy tank in the paint.
Under the rules of the new segment, the celebrity defence begins with four players and scales up in difficulty as the game progresses. To clear a single stage, known as a renchan or sequential success, the Chiba Jets must score five points within 10 total attempts. The defensive load increases incrementally across levels, growing to four, five, six, and finally seven defenders in level five. Clearing all five tiers successfully yields the “Oni Renchan” designation.
Yutaka Tamura Captains Celebrity Squad
The opposing celebrity squad is captained by comedian and basketball enthusiast Yutaka Tamura of Kirin. The roster also includes Hanako’s Daigo Okabe, who was selected for the Akita prefectural high school team, Atsushi Soejima, who reached the national high school top eight, Soya Igari of Key to Lit, and Dunk Haku of Twin Tower, a comedian and professional basketball player standing 196 centimeters tall. Comedians Takumi Ishida, Bakemon-sensei, and Takosu round out the celebrity lineup.
From the opening whistle, Igari stated an intention to deploy aggressive defense, remarking on a desire to stop opponents even through fouls. Facing the 206-centimeter frame of Watanabe, the celebrity defense places early pressure on the professional side. In response to the mounting defensive numbers, Watanabe proposed a tactical adjustment aimed at moving the opposing defenders to exhaust them before the final level.
Studio Hosts Predict Match Outcome
In the studio, hosts Daigo and Nobu of Chidori, alongside panel guests Kenji Yamauchi and Ryuichi Hamaie of Kamaitachi, observe the action and place predictions on how many consecutive successes the teams can secure. The comedy duo members split the competing athletes into rival prediction stables—Chidori Team and Kamaitachi Team—to compete over the final match outcome.
The broadcast begins at 19:00 JST on October 4 on Fuji Television, with side narration provided by Yusuke of Diane.
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