Schlansky imparted his Japanese knowledge on the talk show host, but ended up committing some faux pas of his own.
American talk show host Conan O’Brien landed in Japan this week, on a mission to collect 3 trillion yen from the Mayor of Hokuei as part of a comedy bit involving his claim to the rights of Detective Conan and Conan Town.
Ahead of his trip to Hokuei, located in rural Tottori Prefecture, Conan is currently spending a few days in Tokyo, and after delving into Harajuku’s kawaii culture with the help of some colourful local characters on his first day, on his second day he decided to explore the country’s food culture. And this time he had a familiar face joining him as his dining companion.
Jordan Schlansky is an associate producer on Conan’s show, often appearing in comedy bits as the serious member of the duo, in contrast to Conan’s more funny and lighthearted character. Conan loves to joke about how much he can’t stand Jordan’s character, so when he posted this short clip to his Instagram account, revealing that Jordan was actually in Japan with him, we knew we were in for something special.
While some shows make viewers wait until the actual air date to view scenes from a much-hyped upcoming special, Conan and his team have been treating fans to live clips during their travels, and this was another occasion they wanted to share.
If you have an hour to spare, settle in, sit back, and enjoy this look at Conan and Jordan shooting the breeze as they enjoy a traditional Japanese kaiseki meal.
While there’s a lot of humour in there, with Jordan hitting his stride as cultural expert and Conan as the carefree traveller, there were a few faux pas in the clip that viewers couldn’t help but comment on.
Firstly, it’s proper etiquette in Japan to lift your glass when someone serves you sake. Secondly, the person in the higher-ranking position sits furthest away from the door, which is why the waitress served Jordan before Conan every time she came into the room. These are small points though, and none that will cause any trouble or gasps of dismay from fellow diners.
However, despite berating Conan for acting like a buffoon, Jordan spent most of the meal waving his chopsticks around and gesticulating with them, which is a big no-no when dining in Japan. A number of viewers left comments pleading with Jordan to put his chopsticks down, so there’s a good chance that when this airs, this will be the point where they plaster the word “ASS” in red across Jordan’s face, which is a bit Conan loves to do, especially with serious characters like Jordan.
It’s a shame the two didn’t seem to eat a lot of the food that was served to them, especially given that the cheapest kaiseki course at the restaurant they were eating at is priced at 23,000 yen (US$206) per person.
The restaurant they dined at was Jisaku, which is located a five-minute walk away from Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. Opened in 1931, the building was originally built in 1899 as a second house for the Iwasaki Family, who founded the Mitsubishi conglomerate.
▼ The building’s traditional style and private rooms makes it a popular site for wedding receptions and photo shoots.
After enjoying their meal at Jisaku, Conan and Jordan will soon move on to the highlight of their trip: a visit to Conan Town. We can’t wait to see what Conan gets up to when he comes face to face with the Mayor of Hokuei. Watch this space for more details!
Restaurant Information
つきじ治作 / Tsukiji Jisaku
Address: Tokyo-to, Chuo-ku, Akashicho, 14-19
東京都中央区明石町14-19
Website
Source: Facebook/@teamcoco
Featured image: Instagram/@teamcoco
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