[Grandpa's Grumbling] First Errand! Is Grandpa Worried!?
The variety show "Hajimete no Otsukai" (My First Errand), which has been broadcast irregularly on the Nippon TV network for over 30 years since 1991, always makes its guests cry, doesn't it?
It's Grandpa's favorite show.
There is something moving about the scenes of a small child running an errand all by themselves.
(Grandpa) Do you remember? The day you went on your first errand to Big-A?
(Grandchild) I don't remember.
(Grandpa) You told me not to follow you because you were going alone, but I was so worried that I secretly followed you from behind.
(Grandchild) How old was I?
(Grandpa) You were 3 years old. You said you would go shopping alone with your wallet, but even though it was close, there was a traffic light at a busy intersection, and I couldn't just say "okay" even though you told me not to come, so I quietly followed you from behind.
(Grandchild) Is that so?
(Grandpa) You waited at the traffic light properly and were able to go into the store by yourself; it was truly moving.
(Grandchild) Wow, that happened!
Wikipedia introduces the program like this: 👇
The picture book of the same name, "Hajimete no Otsukai," was the inspiration for the program's launch.
It depicts the struggles of children attempting their first "errand" alone in a documentary style.
The children attempting the errands are often between 3 and 6 years old (nursery school or kindergarteners), but rarely, 1 or 2-year-olds have appeared. Basically, they are not given a note, and the parents only tell the child the errand verbally, so it is common for the child to forget the items or get them wrong.
Through the various troubles that occur during the errands, it not only supports the child's independence but also provides viewers with an opportunity to rethink parent-child relationships and the nature of child-rearing and education. Guests are moved to tears by the children's struggles every time.
Because they are committed to a "no-script" approach, there are many cases where the child never even leaves the house. They interview 100 children a year and only use the footage for the two broadcasts—the Winter Special (aired in January) and the Summer Special (aired on Marine Day)—so it is quite a narrow gate for a child to be aired.
The 3-hour special on Saturday, January 8, 2022, featured the struggles of 8 children.
In the January broadcast, Haruki, the eldest son of Kabuki actor Shido Nakamura, appeared, and as expected, his father was in tears.
The microphones that pick up the children's voices are wireless mics attached to the shoulder straps or hidden inside the amulet bags the children wear around their necks to create a sense of realism. It is said that the children don't notice because their parents emphasize that "there is a god inside the amulet, so you must not look inside."
In any era, it must be impossible for parents and grandparents not to worry when a 3 to 6-year-old child goes on their first errand alone, right?
(Grandpa) You want some chocolate, don't you? I'll give you some pocket money, so why don't you go on an errand to Big-A for me?
(Grandchild) Grandpa, you go.
(Grandpa) Then let's go shopping together. I'll buy you whatever you like.
(Grandchild) Whatever you like is fine, Grandpa. I'm not going.
(Grandpa) Fine then. I'll just buy all the things I like. Like dried squid and nut snacks.
(Grandchild) Buy me some dried squid, I love it!?
(Grandma) While you're at it, get some eggs and milk too.
And so, these days, "Grandpa's errand" has become a regular routine 😅
"Grandpa's errand for the sake of his grandchild, and for Grandma while he's at it" is a staple on days when the grandchild visits. <End of grumbling>
Thank you for reading until the end.
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