100 Stories1959 “Star Sen-ichi-ya” a Legendary TV Program Sponsored by a Single Company

“Star Sen-ichi-ya” or “Sta-Sen” for short, began broadcasting on March 1, 1959, the day Fuji Television started broadcasting. It is still talked about as one of the most popular talk shows of the Showa era, and was a signature program of Fuji Television. This program was sponsored by Asahi Kasei, a single company, making it a pioneer in media advertising in the industry.

The first guests on for Asahi Kasei’s first sponsored program were Hiroyuki Nagato and Masahiko Tsugawa, two brothers who were famous actors. The program, which featured the latest entertainers, also attracted attention for the appearance of movie stars, who at the time were not allowed to appear on TV due to the five-company agreement.

The five-company agreement was an agreement between the five major movie companies, Shochiku, Daiei, Toho, Shin Toho, and Toei, as a measure to prevent the scouting of stars. In accordance with the three principles of “not lending, not borrowing, and not scouting stars,” they did not lend their stars to TV programs.

This program was recognized as a talk show program that not only covered entertainment news but also current affairs and other social topics, and was exempted from the five-company agreement. The program remained a common popular fixture of Japanese living rooms, with famous Showa-era actors Ken Takakura and Shintaro Katsu also appearing on the program.

When the program first began, it was broadcast for 15 minutes five times a week, but by December 1959, just one year after its start, it was broadcast six times a week, and its momentum led the pioneering era of television.

In the 1960s, the program became popular for its selection of famous actors, such as Koji Ishizaka and Hiroshi Sekiguchi, as hosts. Actors and other stars from Japan and around the world appeared on the show, including Kyu Sakamoto, the singer of the “Sukiyaki Song,” which reached No. 1 on the U.S. billboard chart in June 1963, Jean Gabin (actor) and Brigitte Bardot (actor) for European coverage, Bob Hope (golfer) in the United States, and Jane Mansfield (actor).

In the late 1960s, Fuji Television broadcast the series in color, which was a first for the times.

Its popularity became a national phenomenon, with the highest viewership rating of 45.4% recorded for an episode featuring former professional baseball player Sadaharu Oh of the Yomiuri Giants. It became a one of the greatest shows in history, watched by nearly half of the nation.

In 1972, a new form of advertisement called the “Living Sen-ichi-ya” was introduced. It is a current corporate advertisement. The aim of this commercial was to have people understand the true nature of the company as a general chemical manufacturer. The entire runtime of the commercial was combined into one long, groundbreaking commercial that ran for 2 minutes and 15 seconds.

The commercials were so well-received that one new one was aired every two weeks, and 124 of them were produced until the end of the program.

The program, which had contributed to the expansion of Asahi Kasei's recognition along with its many accomplishments, was coming to an end with the passage of time. The decision to end the program was made with regret, due in large part to the fact that the 15-minute weekday program slot was no longer in line with the times. Asahi Kasei decided to offer a one-hour program, Naruhodo! the World, as its successor, again sponsored by a single company.

The end of the program showed highlights on the themes such as “The Sixties,” “The Seventies,” “The Eighties,” and “Sponsors,” and a special commercial called “Asahi Kasei Fostering Love” was introduced as a sponsor feature.

In September 1981, 22 and a half years after the program began airing in March 1959, an extended-length final episode was broadcast. The program was broadcast 6,417 times, a longevity record for Fuji Television until it was surpassed by “Waratte Iitomo!” in 2005.

Living Sen-ichi-ya product list - excerpts from 1972

Ion-exchange membrane	“Seawater to fresh water” tank and yellowtail
Asahi-Dow's 20th anniversary	Oiso on-location
APR™	From Zinc Plates to APR™ (Hiroshi Sekiguchi's foot print)
Dynamite	Fire and Construction, Nobeoka On-location
Noo-noo	Home sewing
Paris Fashion Information	Paris Saint Germain on-location
Takatsuki Textile Research Institute	Various textile tests, Takatsuki (Osaka) location
Nobeoka Gunpowder Plant and Cherry Blossom Viewing	Factory opens its doors to residents when cherry blossoms are in full bloom
Swimsuit Fashion	History of Swimwear since the Meiji Era
Tacna Factory, Peru	Exporting Technology Overseas and Contributing to Local Industry, Chemica Sol Local Coverage