Radio stations sure do look like fun places to work.
We left Makuhari for the studio in downtown Chiba a little after lunch, arriving roughly an hour later thanks to heavy traffic. The station occupies the upper floors of a highrise hotel, offering a panoramic view of the surrounding city. A director met us at the door, and we immediately sat down and got to work reviewing and vetting the script for the show. Even though the show was to be presented in “interview” format, all of the questions and answers had been written beforehand. This would prove an interesting experience come recording time, as we had to make the written script flow like an impromptu conversation.
Once the dust settled, we made our way down the hall to the studio. We were to record two shows today: one dealing with Weathernews’ business relationship with the Chiba Marines baseball club, and another dealing with the typhoon chasing project. The baseball program was up first, so we took our seats in the mixing room along with the director and watched our colleagues work their magic in the recording booth. After a few takes (and some hilarious outtakes), it was our turn to sit in front of the microphones.
Originally, the plan for the interview was as follows: First, an introduction in Japanese. Then, a conversation between the host and my Japanese chase partner - in Japanese, of course. Then, I would be questioned in Japanese, subsequently translated into English by my chase partner. I was to answer in English, at which point the host would translate my answer into Japanese. Finally, a conclusion in Japanese.
Honestly, it’s not as confusing as it sounds.
The director, however, felt the constant translating would take up too much time and break the flow of the interview, so it was decided I’d simply answer the Japanese questions directly. No big deal, really, seeing as we were working from a script. That, and I know enough Japanese to keep up with what’s being said.
The funny thing is, I needed to inject myself into the conversation at times such that things would feel more natural. In other words, I had to toss in the occasional “um” and “that’s right” - in English - in the midst of all the Japanese flying back and forth between the host and my partner. During one take, my mind went on autopilot such that, instead of saying “yes, that’s right,” I blurted out a “hai, sou desu,” in Japanese. It took a few minutes before the laughing died down enough for us to continue.
After about an hour, we wrapped up the recording, leaving the director and a producer from Weathernews to assemble the final product. Another hour later, we were done. Bows and pleasantries all around, and it was back to Makuhari. Of course, the traffic was still horrible.
The show is scheduled to air August 14 at 8:30 PM on BayFM. I should be able to get ahold of a digital copy afterwards, so I’ll try to remember to share it then.
