The Contestant game show story with Nasubi is a shocking and controversial tale of exploitation and cruelty in the name of entertainment. Here are the key details: In 1998, Tomoaki Hamatsu, an aspiring comedian nicknamed Nasubi (meaning "eggplant" in Japanese, referring to his elongated face), was recruited as a contestant for a new Japanese reality TV show called "Denpa Shōnen" or "A Life in Prizes".

Nasubi was taken directly from the audition to a small apartment and told he had to remain there, completely isolated and naked, until he won 1 million yen (around $10,000 at the time) in prizes by mailing in sweepstakes entries. Unbeknownst to him, the show was being broadcast weekly to millions of viewers who watched and mocked his plight. For over 15 months, Nasubi lived in abject conditions - starving at times and surviving only on meager ...