Record-breaking Japanese talk show Tetsuko’s Room broadcasts 10,000th episode

A Japanese talk show recognised by Guinness World Records in 2011 for achieving the most episodes hosted by the same presenter achieved another milestone yesterday as it broadcast its 10,000th episode, in its 40th year.

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, veteran actress and host of Tetsuko's Room, a talk show broadcast daily on weekdays by TV Asahi, celebrated the feat with the day's guests, Masahiko Kondo and Noriyuki Higashiyama - middle-aged singer/actors Kuroyanagi has known since their teenage debuts in show business.

Domestic and foreign celebrities who appeared on the show include actor Hisaya Morishige, the guest on the first episode broadcast February 2, 1976, Nobel laureate for literature Kenzaburo Oe, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and US singer Lady Gaga.

"It's like a dream. I'd like to say thank you to all the guests and the staff who worked with me 10,000 times," Kuroyanagi said in a statement released by TV Asahi.

Tetsuko's Room is recorded but undergoes little editing, so its unscripted content is almost exactly the same as it would have been if it were a live programme.

There is no script but Kuroyanagi pens the running sheet for each episode. She has, incredibly, also never missed a recording of the show, according to the broadcaster.