Craig’s notes
The handwriting had us looking for music, possibly the Beatles. Playback went somewhere else: Superman IV, The Spy in the Green Hat, the original Gone in 60 Seconds, Hell with Heroes, and Airwolf. The language treatment kept changing too. Superman IV went between Japanese dialogue and English with Japanese subtitles, while Airwolf was dubbed into Japanese. I don’t have a broadcast date or station for any of this.
The two ad breaks were as mixed as the programs. One included a SAAB Spring Festival spot and a Fibe Mini ad that looked like it might involve Max Headroom. The Fibe Mini lookalike came back in the second break, along with tire cleaner featuring koalas and what might be Mickey Rourke in a Suntory Special Reserve spot. Those faces need a closer look before I put names to them. The viewing notes don’t even pin either break to a particular film.
Content inventory
Shows and segments (playback order)
- Superman IV: Japanese dialogue in parts; English with Japanese subtitles in others.
- The Spy in the Green Hat: Japanese subtitles.
- Gone in 60 Seconds (original film): Japanese subtitles.
- Hell with Heroes: Japanese dub.
- Airwolf: Japanese dub. The viewing log does not identify an episode.
Commercial inventory
First observed break (its precise placement among the programs was not recorded):
- Mazda Urban Tuned Etude.
- Daiichi: Product unidentified.
- Whisky: Brand uncertain.
- Onkyo: Product unidentified.
- Showa Siding.
- Toyota: Model unidentified.
- Chinatown: Advertiser or product unidentified.
- SAAB: Spring Festival.
- Instant noodles: Brand unidentified.
- Crab: Advertiser unidentified.
- Fibe Mini: Max Headroom association in viewing log, not confirmed.
- Citizen watches: “Lamer” reading in log is uncertain.
- Bridgestone Mr. Tire Man: Mascots noted, identification uncertain.
- Olympus camera.
- Alcohol: Brand unidentified.
- Camellia: Product unidentified.
Second observed break (precise program placement unknown):
- VSOP brandy.
- Pentax camera.
- Tire cleaner: Koalas in spot.
- Neo Lecithin: Tentative product reading.
- Suntory Special Reserve: Mickey Rourke identification tentative.
- Tostem automatic blinds.
- Unidentified transport-themed ad: Train imagery; advertiser uncertain.
- Unidentified “love” commercial: Viewing-log description.
- GP-1: Product unidentified.
- Fibe Mini: Another logged Max Headroom-like spot; association unconfirmed.
- Nescafé instant coffee.
- Peace Lights cigarettes.
- Fabric softener: Brand unidentified.
- “Curry the Hot”: Tentative reading.
- VW Santana.
Station and show promos
First break:
- The Blue Hearts / The Mods: “Yum Yum Gimme Some” concert promo, as logged.
- Orchestra performance promo.
Second break:
- Movie promo: Film unidentified.
On the label
- Fragmentary handwritten text:
バナナス,ニューポート,シェルター,ジョージ・ハ,リンゴ,600. These fragments do not identify the programs observed in playback.
Tape details
- Archive ID: VHS-2026-1000.
- Format: VHS; Japanese off-air television compilation. Condition: Good.
- Viewed: August 27, 2026. The canonical record marks this tape streamed, but does not establish broadcast dates, stations or exact positioning of the two ad breaks among the five named programs.
