Nippon TV has tapped top star Okada Junichi to front its Japanese adaptation of โThe Floor,โ the international quiz format from Talpa Studios, founded by John de Mol.
The special will represent the formatโs debut in Asia after roll-outs across more than 30 countries spanning Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Australia.
The broadcast is scheduled as a three-hour prime-time special on March 28 across Nippon TV and its affiliate stations nationwide.
Japanโs version introduces a local twist not seen in other markets: rather than civilian participants, the entire roster of 32 players will be drawn from the celebrity world, making it the only edition globally to have an all-star cast. Competitors will face each other in head-to-head visual quiz duels on a large LED floor segmented into 32 sections, with each battle built around a contestantโs nominated area of expertise. The player who ultimately dominates the board takes home a prize of JPY10 million yen ($63,000).
The special is Okadaโs first foray into quiz hosting. He has built a growing international following, most recently through his role in the Netflix drama series โLast Samurai Standing.โ
โAs an actor I never imagined that I would have the honor of becoming the host of a global quiz show, so Nippon TVโs opportunity truly surprised me, for most of my recent work on TV had been tied to my own interests โ martial arts, history, and other programs related to my drama or film projects,โ Okada said in a statement. โWhat drew me in was the absolute seriousness of the one-on-one battles and the โno second chancesโ atmosphere. The energy on Nippon TVโs set was incredible and watching the contestants face off with such intensity โ while still enjoying themselves โ was immensely inspiring and I am confident that viewers will feel the same excitement.โ
Hisamichi Megumi, senior manager of programming and platform strategy at Nippon TV, said the formatโs broad intergenerational appeal and its ability to hold viewers in suspense were central to her decision to commission it. She described Okada as the ideal โGame Masterโ โ someone who could alternate between building tension on the floor and offering warm support to contestants โ and said Nippon TV was confident he would elevate the Japanese edition of the show.
Sebastian van Barneveld, director global distribution at Talpa Studios, framed the Japanese launch as a landmark moment. โJapan is one of Asiaโs most distinctive markets, with a strong heritage of original entertainment, making it a real milestone for โThe Floorโ to launch here. The formatโs simple, visual and play-along, do-or-die gameplay travels effortlessly across cultures, and the all-celebrity Japanese version once again highlights its flexibility,โ he said. โWeโre proud to partner with Nippon TV and look forward to seeing how Japanese audiences embrace the show.โ
Nippon TV, which also owns the Japanese arm of streaming service Hulu, holds the rights to the majority of its own content and is active in international sales across anime, finished programming, formats and co-productions. The company recently established Gyokuro Studio as a dedicated in-house unscripted label and opened the Nippon TV LA Business Office to serve as its global hub for co-development and sales.
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