TV Tokyo announces large-scale bus travel competition in North Kanto

TV Tokyo will broadcast the 18th installment of its local bus connection competition, ‘Jintori Gassen,’ on October 1. This special edition features the largest scale in the program's history, spanning three prefectures: Tochigi, Saitama, and Gunma.

Two teams will compete to claim as many of the 123 municipalities in the region as possible by traveling via local buses and taxis. The journey begins at Oyama Station in Tochigi Prefecture and concludes at Ikaho Shrine in Gunma Prefecture. Participants are prohibited from using the internet for route planning, relying instead on maps, timetables, and local inquiries.

The competition features two teams led by Yosuke Taekawa and Kaito Kawai. Taekawa’s team includes actor Moemi Tomita and comedian Osaki, while Kawai’s team consists of Olympic gold medalist Kosuke Hagino and former Morning Musume member Maria Makino. In the event of a tie in territories claimed, the team with the highest remaining taxi fare is declared the winner.