Volleyball gets starring role on TBS entertainment special
03/28/2006
Tokyo, March 28, 2006: Volleyball will feature prominently in one of Japan's most eagerly-awaited TV entertainment shows of the year.
The All-Star "Kanshasai", presented by 2006 World Championships host broadcaster TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc.), is held twice a year, in spring and autumn, and attracts a rating of around 19 per cent of households.
The next Kanshasai -- a "thank you" festival to celebrities for entertaining the public -- will be shown on Saturday, April 1, starting at 6.30pm and running over five hours until the scheduled close at 11.48pm.
Around 200 celebrities will attend and many of them will take part in the highlight of the evening, the 3.5-kilometre Akasaka Mini Marathon, around the perimeter of the TBS headquarters in downtown Tokyo. Fans line the course to cheer on their favourites at close quarters, and the April 1 mini marathon field will include some of Japan's top volleyball players.
On the men's side, head coach Tatsuya Ueta will be joined by Yu Koshikawa and Kota Yamamura, and women's head coach Shoichi Yanagimoto will have Kana Oyama, Kaoru Sugayama, Yoshie Takeshita and Makiko Horai for company.
It is a great privilege for volleyball to have such a high-profile role in the event, and will contribute significantly to the promotion of the World Championships, which start on October 31.
TBS will use both their spacious studios for the Kanshasai, one to serve food and drink to the celebrities, and the other to stage activities such as games and a trivia quiz.
