Voices
in
Japan

have your say

What are some of the most amazing, upsetting or frightening events you have ever witnessed on live TV?

28 Comments

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

28 Comments
Login to comment

Armstrong walking on the moon. I think everyone in the world was transfixed by that. Also, 9-11; Challenger exploding; the Mars rover; and I have a vague recollection of seeing Lee Harvey Oswald get shot on live TV.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

The Heysel stadium disaster when I was a little girl.

The tsunami approaching and then swamping Tohoku. Utterly shocking.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

9.11 & 3.11

4 ( +5 / -1 )

England winning the World Cup. It will probably never be witnessed again.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

In Japan:

The live murder of Toyota Shoji on national TV; with the TV crews interviewing the sword-carrying murderers in front of the apartment with the screaming victim inside before they broke down the door and butchered him. About a dozen male TV reports; they could have stopped the two goons easily.

I was so disgusted at the time, I was ready to leave this country for good.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

9/11 and 3/11

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Big Brother upsetting.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

the 9/11 attacks and the Tohoku tsunami

2 ( +3 / -1 )

9/11 and 3/11

0 ( +2 / -2 )

George W Bush, in his very first address, after 9/11 .... He was smirking. He made a brief statement, then the live broadcast cut to commercials, when it returned to him, he had a grave expression, like his spin doctors advised.

Honestly, I'll never forget it.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

WilliB - Been here a long time and thats the first I ever heard of it. Incredible and pathetic indictment of Japanese society on so many levels.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

WilliB - Been here a long time and thats the first I ever heard of it.

Me too. I looked it up - it's a pretty horrible thing.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

That happened in 1985 - I very much doubt they'd film such a thing live these days, not when they blur out crims' hands to conceal hand cuffs.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

George W Bush, in his very first address, after 9/11 .... He was smirking.

Seriously, how on Earth and why on Earth would he do that? Anyone for that matter? If anyone was smirking, it was OBL, there's even tape of him praising Allah. If you hate Bush, fine, don't have a problem with that, but saying something outrageous like that.....

He made a brief statement, then the live broadcast cut to commercials, when it returned to him, he had a grave expression, like his spin doctors advised.

3000 people were murdered and what is the man supposed to do or say? Tell you what, I would never want to be put in that position, I don't wish that on any leader.

-8 ( +1 / -9 )

Seriously, how on Earth and why on Earth would he do that?

He wasn't particularly intelligent. (Not saying the claim is true, just pointing out why he may have done it).

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Aside from the obvious devastating tragedies captured on film (9/11, 3/11 tsunami, Space Shuttle Challenger), the incident some years back where a toddler in China was run over by several cars and all the passers by did nothing. That still haunts me and gave me a lasting negative impression of inland China.

@WilliB

Thank you for sharing the Toyota Shoji incident. I'm amazed I'd never heard of that — just watched it on YouTube, though. Deplorable. The blood splattered murderer emerges from the house, long knife in hand, and the media just go right on interviewing him. Hard to imagine that happening now (maybe things have improved after all).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

He wasn't particularly intelligent. (Not saying the claim is true, just pointing out why he may have done it).

Uh-huh? Well, I was also deeply moved and content when he said, "I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you! And the people...and the people that knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon."

1 ( +1 / -0 )

branch davidian compound fbi debacle / indian ocean generated tsunami / general live local-newscasters engaged in word punching and 'head bob syndrome' (hard to explain, but for those who understand, it is sickening).

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Green Bay Packers win superbowl over the Pittsburgh Steerlers 31-25, Feb. 2011. Very entertaining. (just like the Favre years)

That and "showtime-era" LA Lakers' back-to-back repeat NBA championships. First one defeating Boston Celtics, next defeating Detroit Pistons, '87-88'. (more entertaining than shaq/kobe era)

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The most terrible TV moments for me surely were 9/11, 3/11 and the broadcast about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012 - knowing there were kindergarten children involved broke my heart and made me sob for hours.

The Heysel Stadium disaster was another TV moment I'll never forget and the memories come back whenever I hear 'You'll never walk alone'.

But also my best TV moments involve football - the Football World Cup finals in 1990 and 2014 as well as my football club winning the European Cup in 1997.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I also recall Oswald being shot on TV. Of course, 9/11 and 3/11.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The footage of the tsunami - it was on NHK online within hours, and was horrific to see - unbelievable.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The first space shuttle disaster, 9/11 and 3/11.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

FIRST shuttle launch, Nelson Mandela walking free,

09.11.01

12.26.04

07.07.05

03.11.11

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The first shocking thing I remember seeing on TV was the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. I was maybe only 6 or so at the time, my first look at real violence.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Also shocking, was Tommy Cooper dying live on TV .... like most people, I thought it was part of his act, and like the audience, was laughing. It wasn't until the saftey curtain was lowered did anybody realise. I'll never forget it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The Hillsborough stadium disaster. My mates and I were all 10 and we were watching the game at my mates birthday party, seeing all those people squashed up against the fence like that. As many have also said, 9/11 and 3/11 and I do clearly remember the challenger disaster but to add to those frightening events I was very moved in a positive way when the Berlin wall was coming down.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites