One Japanese TV Channel Reacted To Trump’s Victory Very Differently Than Other Networks

As was mostly the case around the world, Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 United Election came as a somewhat of a Stone Cold Stunner (which the President-Elect is no stranger to) to Japan. Trump's coverage in Japan used to be limited to Home Alone 2 footage on Japanese news programs, but as the controversial Presidential candidate picked up steam, coverage of Trump became more in depth and for a majority of the day, all television eyes were on the Electoral Vote count.

Well, except for one channel who has a history of just not giving a damn about major world events. That honor goes to TV Tokyo, known mostly for anime and movie programming, who continued that tradition during the intense election night, as Japanese Twitter users observed.

NHK「大統領選速報です！」
日テレ「大統領選速報です！」
TBS「大統領選速報です！」
フジ「大統領選速報です！」
テレ朝「大統領選速報です！」
テレ東「見てくださいこの大きな蟹！」 pic.twitter.com/VnZIROyJvW
— 前前前世からもぐら(アローラのエッジ) (@edge_barom7) 2016年11月9日

Translation:

NHK: Latest on the U.S. Election!

NTV: Latest on the U.S. Election!

TBS: Latest on the U.S. Election!

Fuji TV: Latest on the U.S. Election!

TV Asahi: Latest on the U.S. Election!

TV Tokyo: Take a look at this big crab!

And when Trump was giving his victory speech.

・
NHK 【トランプ当確】
日テレ【トランプ当確】
TBS 【トランプ当確】
テレ朝【トランプ当確】
フジ【トランプ当確】
テレ東【ほとんどりんご】#アメリカ大統領選挙 #トランプ pic.twitter.com/1GfmbNqhEn
— かもめ少将→フォロワー8000で昇進 (@hk680625) 2016年11月9日

NHK: Latest on the U.S. Election!

NTV: Latest on the U.S. Election!

TBS: Latest on the U.S. Election!

TV Asahi Latest on the U.S. Election!

Fuji TV: Latest on the U.S. Election!

TV Tokyo: "Apple Cakes."

As noted, this isn't a new thing with TV Tokyo. A meme titled "The Legend of TV Tokyo" or "TV Tokyo never wavers" circulates frequently on Japanese message boards, which shows collages of other channels covering breaking news events, such as scandals and national disasters, while TV Tokyo airs programming like Pokemon, Naruto, and Masters of the Universe. One of the more famous examples of this was during the third year anniversary of the catastrophic Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, where thousands lost their lives. A televised moment of silence was observed, where many bowed their heads in prayer and reflected on the disaster. TV Tokyo, however, showed Alien: Resurrection.

If you search "ブレないテレ東" or "テレビ東京伝説" on Google, you will quickly find a boatload of further examples. While it may seem a bit irreverent, it may be a pretty smart strategy to zig while other stations zag.

By - grape Japan editorial staff.