Main Page

Shingo Mama

Shingo Katori

Pictures

Breakfast!

SMAP

Japanese Stuff

O'Ha- Rock

Drama Special

Info

Links

Guestbook

Contact me

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Suppose you're a loving, devoted mother to a large family. Day after day, you wake up in the wee early hours of the morning and prepare a wholesome breakfast, awake the tired troops and send them off to school, work, or whatever exciting activities they have planned, while at the end of it all, you're left home alone again with just a pile of dirty dishes and a hope of gratitude. And you're sick of it!! Want a break? Who you gonna call? Shingo Mama!!
Shingo Mama will cook your breakfast! Shingo Mama will wake your kids! Shingo Mama will pack them up and send them off to school, and even do the dirty dishes when they're gone, all while you continue to spend the day relaxed and asleep. Gift from God in an ideal world? Not exactly. The lovely *ahem* lady to your right is that very gift. In the Japanese world of real TV variety shows based on the art of juxtaposition, this program is easily one of the most popular on television.
Shingo Mama is a concept presented on an afternoon TV show called "Sata Suma", or "Saturday SMAP". Find out more about SMAP here. The show is hosted by Masahiro Nakai and Shingo Katori, and the jist of the show is this: women who are tired and frustrated with their jobs write in requests for the boys to come in and take over for a day. While Nakai takes the jobs for the unmarried daily grind type - cashiers, elevator girls, bus drivers - Shingo Katori takes over the job of the overworked housewife.
Shingo's job description is this: On a date agreed upon by he and the blessed homemaker, Shingo, dressed in gaudy pink garb and occasionally a wig, wakes up in the wee hours of the morning (5:30 - 6:30 usually) and lets himself in the house. He turns off everyone's alarm, since it will be his job to wake the family without waking the mother. He then goes downstairs and makes breakfast - out of anything that's in the fridge. At a specific time, he wakes up each member of the family, and brings them down to breakfast. At the breakfast table, he takes on the mother's role: scolding kids about the messes they made, doing their homework, about how much money the teenagers spend, and so on and so forth. He then send them off to school... but not without a good-bye kiss!
Why does this work? A number of carefully calculated reasons. If you check into SMAP, you'll find that it's a group of talents made up of entirely rather hunky and talented guys, all in their mid to late twenties. Women grew up with them, and now still watch to see their favourite idols on TV. Second, who wouldn't want their job taken over on the busiest day of the year - without having to pay the replacement? Next, the concept it close to ridiculous. While Nakai can often pull the role off being small and pretty-faced, the boys both have to wear the female dress. While both of them are brilliant actors, Shingo is particular is six feet tall, stocky, and in no way feminine or motherly. He looks hilarious, and knows it. Also, the only person in the family who knows he's coming is the mother. The reactions of the rest of the family, therefore, are part of the entertainment! One of the other charms of the show is watching what amazing meals Shingo can cook up from the nothingness of leftovers and mayonnaise in the fridge! They're all tasty - find out more about them in the breakfast section.
So, in honour of Shingo Katori's brilliant efforts to ease the daily struggle of the unappreciated housewife, I devote this page to teaching the English-speaking world about his existence. Please feel free to browse the links on the left, and if you have any comments or questions, don't hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. You can message Shingo Mama, BTW, at this page, and translations for the entry blanks can be found on the Japanese Stuff page.