Haraichi: Yūki Iwai’s New NACK5 Show Revealed on Radio 'Turn!' Episode 495 – What’s Shūsuke Sawabe’s Dream of a “Solo Hosted Show”?

Every Thursday night, this addictive radio show that chases away the sleepies just created some seriously wild vibes again. This is 'Haraichi no Turn!' episode 495. And this wasn’t just another “495th episode”—in a way, it was a historic turn.

A Shocking Reveal! Iwai Lands His Own Solo Show

Last week, the talk was about Yūki Iwai filling in as a guest personality on a NACK5 program. He casually mentioned he “had no idea why they called” and that he had “fond memories with NACK5.” But as it turns out, that was all just a setup. Because it’s now been revealed that starting this April, Iwai will be hosting his very own solo show on NACK5.

Needless to say, the studio atmosphere shifted instantly. Shūsuke Sawabe, armed with a “smoking gun” email from a listener, grilled his partner who was pretending to know nothing. As Iwai tried to play it off by saying it was a “sudden decision” and that “he was surprised too,” Sawabe dropped a line that hit hard:

“So by that logic, I could have my own show in a week, right?”

Despite a long career and hosting countless programs, Sawabe has never actually had a show of his own with his name in the title. Considering this “tragic” reality for Sawabe, it’s no wonder he was so fired up in his interrogation. If a show called “Shūsuke Sawabe’s…” ever does come to life, what would it be about? No one knows yet, but when that day comes, even Iwai won’t be able to play dumb about it.

Grated Daikon Invades Another Station? Welcome to “All Daikon Nippon”

Meanwhile, Haraichi has been running a series of quirky, food-themed mini-segments on the show, including Nori (as in “Nori-Nori no Turn” – a play on “in high spirits”), Bread (“Dynamic Paan”), and Sesame Oil Salt (“Goma Abura Jio”). This time, they’ve finally settled on grated daikon radish as the theme for a new trial segment, “All Daikon Nippon.”

According to Iwai, he’s been so into it lately that he’ll sometimes have just a meal of grated daikon and rice. The title is a clear homage to a famous program on another station. As for the content? It’s as airy and fresh as freshly grated daikon, shaped by listener emails—classic 'Turn!' freedom. There’s even a segment where they brainstorm new ways to grate daikon, which is intriguing even if you’re not a “daikon listener.”

Dad Sawabe’s Taiyaki Defeat

This week’s glimpse into Sawabe’s personal life was just as golden. He came home to find six taiyaki (fish-shaped cakes), a mix of custard and butter-filled red bean paste. Hungry, he grabbed one without checking the filling—turned out it was custard. He gave some to his kids, and they were all custard too. So, in one go, they’d eaten four custard ones.

He nervously asked, “Is it okay that we only ate the custard ones?” Food safety was fine, but that wasn’t the real problem. There was his wife’s anger: “I wanted to eat a custard one.” And then the final blow from his daughter: “I actually wanted the butter-filled red bean one.” It sounds like Dad Sawabe’s status at home went up in smoke, just like the taiyaki’s crispy edges.

The Two from “Haraichi”: Now and Then

The duo’s name comes from Haraichi, a district in Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture. It’s surprising to think that Iwai and Sawabe have been friends since kindergarten there. It was memorable when Sawabe, while hosting a previous show called 'Bakkai ☆ Star Ongaeshi', passionately said, “We’ve got to do a location shoot in Haraichi.”

Sawabe’s dream of giving a Harley-Davidson scooter to the “Haraichi Station lady” who kindly watched them practice their comedy routines back in the day, or the idea of donating a sumo ring to the Myōgon-ji Kindergarten where they first met—these plans are surely still simmering somewhere.

What came through in this radio episode was the dynamic: Iwai expanding his solo ventures, and Sawabe watching with mixed feelings but turning it all into top-tier comedy. These two truly embody the essence of their “slapstick comedy”—or rather, a “slapstick life”—with an incredible sense of balance.

Iwai with his own show, Sawabe without one. This “gap” is just another part of the Haraichi 'Turn!' journey. We’ll be tuning in at midnight next week to see what kind of scene unfolds.

This Week on 'Haraichi no Turn!' – Recap

• Shocking News: Yūki Iwai to start a new solo show on NACK5 starting April. Does this put Shūsuke Sawabe’s dream of a “solo show” even further out of reach?
• New Segment: The grated daikon radio show “All Daikon Nippon” has launched (for a limited time? maybe).
• Personal Lives: Sawabe suffers a major family defeat in the battle over six taiyaki. Iwai loses his identity of having “clammy feet” because of his heated floors.

'Haraichi no Turn!' airs every Thursday at midnight. The after-talk is said to give you the feeling of walking down a country path after school. Don’t miss that either.