TV Osaka to end long-running travel program ‘Otona Tabi Aruki Tabi’

TV Osaka has announced that the long-running travel program ‘Otona Tabi Aruki Tabi,’ featuring actor Kunihiko Mitamura, will conclude its regular broadcasts on October 3. The program, which has aired for approximately 18 years since January 2009, focuses on introducing high-quality travel experiences, local landscapes, and regional cuisine across Western Japan.

During a press conference regarding autumn programming changes, TV Osaka programming director Yasuharu Hashiba stated the conclusion was a “comprehensive decision based on programming.” The network explicitly denied rumors suggesting that Mitamura’s social media activity influenced the decision, a claim Mitamura also dismissed on X (formerly Twitter) as “completely off target.”

The final episode will be a two-and-a-half-hour special featuring a journey from Kyushu toward Osaka. No successor program has been decided for the time slot; instead, the network plans to air best-of compilations using program archives and expanded broadcasts of existing shows.