"Detective! Night Scoop" (ABC TV, Fridays at 11:17 PM) is a popular variety show where "detectives" tackle bizarre requests and worries submitted by viewers. On June 5th, Detective Hiroshi Tamura investigated whether it was possible to buy a Dojima Roll while waiting at a traffic light. Film director Kore-eda Hirokazu appeared as the special director, with Ishida Yasushi as assistant director and Masuda Saori as secretary.
The request came from a 32-year-old woman from Osaka Prefecture. When the woman and her family go to Umeda in Osaka, they always go by car because they have young children. Her husband drives, and she sits in the passenger seat, and each time they go, they enjoy an imaginary challenge. It's called the "Dojima Challenge."
This is a mental challenge game where, when you get caught at a red light at the nearest intersection, you have to see if you can buy their signature confection, "Dojima Roll," at "Mon Cher," which is located around the corner.
As someone who loves Dojima Roll, this challenge has become something I look forward to whenever I go to Umeda. I get out of the car, jog to the shop door, say "I'd like a Dojima Roll, please!", get it packed in a box, pay, return to the passenger seat, and share my joy with my family, saying, "Yay, I got one!"
In the woman's mind, she believes she can just barely afford it. She's itching to try it. However, she can't run because she's recently given birth. She's entrusting her hopes to Dojima and begging him to succeed.
To ensure the success of this challenge, Detective Tamura enlisted the help of Taizo Sakao, a familiar face on the show and a "night scoop-style running specialist." After walking the approximately 50-meter route to the store to confirm the route, the two got into a car and headed to the intersection in question.
Detective Hiroshi Tamura hurries to the shop to buy a "Dojima Roll" and returns, but the car is already gone. It turns out that two conditions are essential: "stopping at the front of the line when the light turns red" and "no other customers ahead of you." Next, Sakao tries, but again, he doesn't make it. Perhaps the timing of the red light is simply impossible? He meticulously checks the time again and tries various strategies, but...
