SMAP×SMAP was an ongoing weekly Japanese variety show on Kansai TV and Fuji TV starring the members of SMAP. The show began on April 15, 1996 and it aired from 22:00 to 22:54 every Monday. The show's usual ratings were higher than 20%, which is considered high since most variety shows range from 10-20%. Each episode begins a variety of skits, comedic performances, and/or games. These are followed by Bistro SMAP, in which the SMAP members compete against each other to impress celebrity judges with their gourmet cooking. Last is a musical performance by SMAP which may include celebrity guests, as well.
1996-04-15
Apr 15, 1996
The Bistro Guest this episode Ohara Reiko This only Skit is Furahatake Takusaburo The only Corner is Crying SMAP The Musical Guest is Nakamori Akina
1996-04-22
Apr 22, 1996
The Bistro Guest is Asano Yuko. The Skits are Mount SMAPmore, Rats & Master Bar, and Furahatake Takusaburo. And the Musical performance is a Karaoke Tribute called Julie. WARNING: Rats & Master Bar - This skit as originally created contains outdated cultural depictions of characters in Blackface. At the time this was acceptable in Japan. It is a parody of Rats & Star a popular Japanese Doo-wop band from the 80s.
1996-04-29
Apr 29, 1996
The Bistro Guest is Shimda Yuko. The Skits are Furahatake Takusaburou and Vase. The Musical Performance is a Karaoke Corner with guest Fumiya Fuji.
1996-05-06
May 6, 1996
The Bistro guest is Kobayashi Sachiko. The Skits are Vase, Crying SMAP, The Goddess of Victory (with Bonus Behind the Scenes) and Mount SMAPmore. The musical guest is Sunplaza Nakano with Bakufu Slump Trivia: First episode where Shingo cooks!
1996-05-13
May 13, 1996
The Bistro guest is Takigwa Yumi. The skits are DOG and Furahatake Takusaburo. The musical guest is Masanori Sera. Also the first performance of Hadaka no Ousama. Contains the announcement that Mori is leaving the group.
1996-05-20
May 20, 1996
The Bistor guest is Izumi Pinko. The skits are Simon-kun, Goddess of Victory with guest appearance by the Ufuls, and the very first P-chan. The musical guest is Hideki Saijou. Triva: First episode with the kiss marks on the chef hats
1996-05-27
May 27, 1996
The Bistro Guest is Momoi Kaori. The skits are Vase and Furahatake Takusaburou. There is no musical guest as this is the last episode with the 6th member of SMAP Mori Katsuyuki and they sing a medley of his favorite SMAP songs. This ends with Best Friend which has become an important song to the group ever since. WARNING: Vase - This skit as originally created contains outdated cultural depictions of characters in Blackface. At the time this was acceptable in Japan.
1996-06-03
Jun 3, 1996
The Bistro Guest is Kakuchi Kako. The Skit is Furahatake Takusaburou. With the Crying SMAP corner. The musical guest is Kondo "Matchy” Masahiko.
1996-06-10
Jun 10, 1996
The Bistro guest is Manno Atsuda. The Skits were Happy Wedding, Michael Jackson, and P-chan. The Corner was Kusanagi Musashi kendo match. The musical guest was Yokohama Ginbae.
1996-06-17
Jun 17, 1996
The Bistro guest is Matsuda Keiko. The only skit is Goddess of Victory with surprise appearance of Jinrai Takanori one of the actors from the original show they are parodying. The only corner is Egg Roulette. The Musical guest is Da Bubblegum Brothers.
1996-06-24
Jun 24, 1996
The Bistro Guest is Yoko Nogiwa. The skits are Long Vacation and Furahatake Takusaburou. The musical guest is Tokunaga Hideaki
1996-07-01
Jul 1, 1996
The Bistro guest is Rino Katase. The skits are Michael Jackson and Kusanagi Musashi Kendo match. The musical guest is Watanabe Misato.
1996-07-08
Jul 8, 1996
The Bistro guest is Nakata Yoshiko. The skits are Furahatake Takusaburou with guest pianist Hiroshi and Stacking King. The musical performance is Aoi Inazuma. WARNING: Animal Death - The Bistro meal starts with live fish. Its very graphic.
1996-07-15
Jul 15, 1996
The Bistro guest is Tanaka Yoshiko. She skits are P-chan, Jinrai Takanori, and SmaSma Suspense Theater. The musical guest is Lindberg and they replay the performance of Aoi Inazuma from the previous episode
1996-07-22
Jul 22, 1996
First SmapxSmap live special! Nakamura Tomoka was the Bistro guest and the corners were Furahatake Takusaburo Bloopers and Crying SMAP. The musical performance was Aoi Inazuma. Triva: This is also the first episode with an audience. Eventually they would regularly have an audience till late in the shows run.
1996-07-29
Jul 29, 1996
The Bistro guest is Maya Kyoko. The Skits are Michael Jackson and Mr. Dog. The Corners are Egg Poker with guest Ibu Masato and SmaSma Ranking. The musical performance is Aoi Inazuma.
1996-08-05
Aug 5, 1996
The Bistro guest is Sakuma Yoshiko. The skits are Michael Jackson and Mannequin. Egg Poker continues from the previous week with guest Ibu Masato. The musical guest is Uzaki Ryudou. Trivia: In the musical performance this looks to be the first time we see Shingo Katori blond! This becomes his trademark look eventually but was originally against the rules of his talent agency. But the fans liked it so much the rules ended up changing. Setting the trend for many more blond Johnny's idols to come.
1996-08-12
Aug 12, 1996
The Bistro guest is Miyazaki Yoshiko. The skits are Furahatake Takusaburou and Simon-kun. The performance is Aoi Inazuma.
1996-08-19
Aug 19, 1996
The Bistro guest is Sakaguchi Ryoko. The only corner is Kusanagi Musashi with guest Lindberg. The musical guest is Jay Walk
1996-08-26
Aug 26, 1996
The Bistro guest is Nakeno Yuko. THe corners were Egg Poker with guest Kobayashi Nenji, P-chan, Simon-Kun, Grassys, and Aoi Inazuma Bar. The musical performance is Aoi Inazuma.
1996-09-02
Sep 2, 1996
The Bistro guest is Fujitani Miwako. The Corners are SmaSma Scandal, Egg Poker with guest Kobayashi Nenji from last week, and P-chan. The musical guest is Anri.
1996-09-09
Sep 9, 1996
The Bistro guest is Kato Kazuko. The skits are Furahatake Takusaburou and Cho-han Aoi Inazuma. The musical performance is Aoi Inazuma.
1996-09-16
Sep 16, 1996
The Bistro guest is Yuki Matsushita. The skits are P-chan, Michael Jackson, and J's Judge with Tsuyoshi and Jeans. The musical guest is Kouji Tamaki.
1996-09-23
Sep 23, 1996
The Bistro guest is Takahashi Keiko. The skits are Grassy's, Non-fiction Theater: Cafeteria Master, P-chan, Aoi Inazuma The School Library. The musical performance is Aoi Inazuma.
1996-09-30
Sep 30, 1996
First 2 part special for the 6th month anniversary. The Bistro guests are and it is a Bistro King special with one on one competition. The Skits are CG Movie Theatre, Egg Poker with Umemiya Tatsuo, Smuffy, Furahatake Takusaburou with Masahiko Nishimura written by Koki Mitani the writer of the original Furuhata Ninzaburō and Memories of Megumi. The musical guest is Kyoko Koizumi.
1996-10-14
Oct 14, 1996
The first NG special! And a small behind the scenes documentary of Tsuyoshi skydiving from 1996-09-30. Trivia: NG stands for No Good which is what they call bloopers in Japan
1996-10-21
Oct 21, 1996
The Bistro Guest is Esumi Makiko on a brand new bistro set. The Skits were SMASMA project ~Jackie with the shows first ever foreign guest Jackie Chan, Experience Elevator and Big Hariya. The musical guest is Tamura Shinichi.
1996-10-28
Oct 28, 1996
The Bistro guest is Kotegewa Yuko. The Skits are Frankenstein, O-chan the parrot, Experience Elevator, Hip Hop G, Simon-kun. The Corner is Stacking King. The musical guest is HOUND DOG.
1996-11-04
Nov 4, 1996
The Bistro guest is Minami Kaho. The skits are Flintstones and Kusanagi Musashi with guests comedian Egashira 2:50 and Kyomoto Masaki playing his character from Legend of the Devil. The musical guest is The Alfee. WARNING: There is blackface in The Flintstones skit but not to imitate black people necessarily. It seems like they were trying to be more "historically accurate" than the old Hanna Barbera cartoon
1996-11-11
Nov 11, 1996
The Bistro Guest is Kie Nakai. The skits are Frankenstein, Experience Elevator, Lupin the 3rd, and Smuffy with guest Puffy. The musical performance is SHAKE.
1996-11-18
Nov 18, 1996
The Bistro guest is Nakamura Azusa The skits are Frankenstein, O-chan the parrot, Hip Hop G, Non Fiction Theater, Flintstones, and Grassy's. The corner is J's Judge. The musical performance is SHAKE. WARNING: There is blackface in The Flintstones skit but not to imitate black people necessarily. It seems like they were trying to be more "historically accurate" than the old Hanna Barbera cartoon
1996-11-25
Nov 25, 1996
The Bistro guest is Minamino Yoko. The skit is Experience Elevator. The two corners are 8 Second Wall and Egg Poker with guest Kitaoji Kinya. The musical performance is with Makihara Noriyuki.
1996-12-02
Dec 2, 1996
The Bistro guests are Sakaki Baraikue and Imori Miyuki. The skits are You Can Do it Sera-san and Flintstones. The corners are 8 Second Wall and Egg Poker with guest Kitaoji Kinya. The musical performance is SHAKE.
1996-12-09
Dec 9, 1996
The Bistro guest is Daichi Mao. The skits are Tantei Monogatari ZERO and Countdown Christmas. The musical guest is Cyndi Lauper who is the first western musical guest. Warning: This episode contains Blackface during the Cyndi Lauper performance as the guys surprise her by imitating famous black musicians.
1996-12-16
Dec 16, 1996
The Bistro Guest is Manda Hisako. The skits are Countdown Christmas with guest Kitaura Tomoe, Lupin the 3rd, Experience Elevator, and SHAKE Family. The musical Performance is SHAKE with Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra.
1996-12-30
Dec 30, 1996
The Bistro Guests are Kaga Mariko and Nakajima Toshiyuki. The Corners are Shingo and Nakai Skydiving, Clay Kingdom, and Egg Poker with guest Tamori. The skits are P-chan with guests Gachapin and Mukku, Lupin the 3rd, Hip Hop G, Experience Elevator and Big Harrier.
