Ainori

Ainori

logo
Country of origin  Japan
Language(s) Japanese
Broadcast
Original channel Fuji Television
Picture format NTSC
Original airing October 11, 1999 (1999-10-11)
External links
Website

Ainori (あいのり?), literally "Ride together", or "Car pool" but can also be read as "love ride", is a popular television program that runs Monday evenings from 11 pm in Japan on Fuji TV. It debuted on October 11, 1999. The show originally ended on March 23, 2009[1] but returned under the name "Ainori 2" on December 25, 2010.[2]

Its franchise in Vietnam called "Hành trình kết nối những trái tim" ("Journey to match hearts") or also "Love bus" is established in 2008, recently becomes a high rated show of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi Television. It is originally aired every Tuesday at 10PM.

Contents

Description

Ainori is a reality program where seven young men and women travel the world riding a pink bus. The program is reminiscent of a travelogue; as of December 2008, the show has followed the bus across 90 countries as participants explore both famous tourist attractions and more off-the-beaten-path places. The participants are led across each country by a native who serves as tour guide, bus driver, and friend. Upon reaching the border with another country, the bus stops and participants head out to their next destination country to meet their new tour guide and get into their new bus.

The show's twist is that the participants are each young, single people whose goal is to find love with another participant and return to Japan as a couple. When a participant has decided they like someone else, they ask the driver for a ticket back to Japan. They then declare their love to the object of their affection, and ask that the two return to Japan together. After a night's consideration, the person who received the love declaration can either answer with a kiss, after which both participants leave the bus for Japan. Otherwise, the jilted participant is left to return to Japan alone. Besides the love declaration, participants are forbidden from talking openly about their love interests with other participants, but inform the TV audience of their feelings through diaries and confessions to the camera (shot when no other participants are present).

After people leave the bus, new people are added to the program, to keep the total at 7 members. They are seen on the side of the road with a painted cardboard sign (appearing to be hitchhikers) and brought aboard after a self-introduction.

The First Lap Around the World ended in May, 2003, and the Second Lap ended in March, 2007. After that, the bus visits the countries which has never been visited on the show, without the route. The 400th episode was aired on May 5, 2008.

As of March, 2009, 44 couples have found love through the program, and there have been 8 marriages (though one couple has divorced). On March 1, 2005, the first "Ainori Baby" was born, and as of mid-2008 there have been 4 babies born in total.

Countries visited

The First Lap

# Country Air date Participants Couples
men women
0  Japan Oct 11 1999 (#1) Hory, Takaya, Kazu, Kin-chan
1  South Korea Oct 11 1999 (#1) -
Nov 15 1999 (#6)
Hory, Takaya, Kazu, Kin-chan Okan, Midori, Ai Takaya ♥ Okan (1st)
2  People's Republic of China Nov 15 1999 (#6) -
Jan 17 2000 (#13)
Hory, Kin-chan, Shingo, Inotchi, Fuku, Jun Midori, Ai, Tomo, Mio Hory ♥ Ai (2nd)
3  Vietnam Jan 17 2000 (#13) -
Feb 28 2000 (#19)
Kin-chan, Inotchi, Fuku, Jun, Shū Midori, Tomo, Mio, Kyōko Inotchi ♥ Tomo (3rd)
4  Cambodia Feb 28 2000 (#19) -
Mar 13 2000 (#21)
Kin-chan, Jun, Tā-kun, Satoshi Kyōko, Mie, Wakana Jun ♥ Kyōko (4th)
5  Thailand Mar 20 2000 (#22) -
May 8 2000 (#27)
Kin-chan, Tā-kun, Satoshi, Yūji Mie, Wakana, Sanae Kin-chan ♥ Midori (5th)*2
6  India May 15 2000 (#28) -
Jun 26 2000 (#34)
Sen-chan, Hisashi, GYO, Sunatchi, Haru Mariko, Miyuki, Tanabē, Yuki Hisashi ♥ Mariko (6th)*3
7  Turkey Jun 26 2000 (#34) -
Jul 24 2000 (#38)
Sen-chan, GYO, Haru, Yassan Miyuki, Tanabē, Yuki GYO ♥ Miyuki (7th)
8  Bulgaria Jul 24 2000 (#38) -
Aug 07 2000 (#40)
Sen-chan, Haru, Yassan, Ken'ichi Tanabē, Yuki, Devi Haru ♥ Yuki (8th)
9  Greece Aug 07 2000 (#40) -
Aug 28 2000 (#43)
Sen-chan, Yassan, Ken'ichi Tanabē, Devi
10  Italy Aug 28 2000 (#43) -
Sep 25 2000 (#47)
Sen-chan, Ken'ichi, Fujiwara-kun, Gō, Paolo*1 Devi, Nao, Chinatsu
11  France Sep 25 2000 (#47) -
Nov 13 2000 (#53)
Sen-chan, Ken'ichi, Fujiwara-kun, Gō, Seki-chan Devi, Nao, Chinatsu, Eri Sen-chan ♥ Devi (9th)
Fujiwara-kun ♥ Nao (10th)
12  Spain Nov 13 2000 (#53) -
Dec 18 2000 (#58)
Ken'ichi, Gō, Seki-chan, Tsune, Takashi Chinatsu, Eri, Yūko, Hitomi
13  Morocco Dec 18 2000 (#58) -
Jan 15 2001 (#61)
Gō, Seki-chan, Tsune, Takashi Eri, Yūko, Hitomi Gō ♥ Eri (11th)
14  Brazil Jan 22 2001 (#62) -
Feb 26 2001 (#66)
Seki-chan, Takashi, Ken, Sasayan Yūko, Hitomi, Ogu Sasayan ♥ Yūko (12th)
15  Paraguay Feb 26 2001 (#66) Seki-chan, Takashi, Ken Hitomi, Ogu
16  Argentina Mar 05 2001 (#67) -
Apr 03 2001 (#71)
Seki-chan, Takashi, Ken, Naoya Hitomi, Ogu, Keiko Ken ♥ Keiko (13th)
17  Chile Apr 03 2001 (#71) -
Apr 30 2001 (#75)
Seki-chan, Takashi, Naoya Hitomi, Ogu, Ringo Takashi ♥ Ogu (14th)
18  Bolivia Apr 30 2001 (#75) -
May 21 2001 (#78)
Seki-chan, Naoya, Daisuke, Match-bō(Yamasaki) Ringo, Yū, Tsutchy
19  Peru May 21 2001 (#78) -
Jul 02 2001 (#84)
Seki-chan, Naoya, Daisuke, Match-bō, Yōsei Ringo, Yū, Tsutchy, Natchan
20  Ecuador Jul 02 2001 (#84) -
Aug 13 2001 (#90)
Seki-chan, Naoya, Daisuke, Yōsei Yū, Tsutchy, Natchan
21  Panama Aug 13 2001 (#90) -
Sep 24 2001 (#95)
Seki-chan, Daisuke, Yōsei, Yasu Natchan, Akky, Yūka Yōsei ♥ Akky (15th)
22  Costa Rica Oct 02 2001 (#96) Seki-chan, Daisuke, Yasu, Reggae Natchan, Yūka Daisuke ♥ Natchan (16th)
23  Jamaica Oct 02 2001 (#96) -
Nov 05 2001 (#100)
Seki-chan, Yasu, Reggae, Tobi Yūka, Ai, Vivi Seki-chan ♥ Yūka (17th)
24  Cuba Nov 12 2001 (#101) -
Dec 17 2001 (#106)
Yasu, Reggae, Tobi, Yoshi-chan Vivi, Mizuho, Yukinē
25  Honduras Dec 17 2001 (#106) -
Jan 07 2002 (#108)
Reggae, Tobi, Yoshi-chan, Take Vivi, Mizuho, Yukinē
26  Guatemala Jan 07 2002 (#108) -
Feb 18 2002 (#114)
Reggae, Tobi, Yoshi-chan, Take Vivi, Mizuho, Yukinē Tobi ♥ Vivi (18th)
27  Belize Feb 18 2002 (#114) -
Mar 11 2002 (#116)
Reggae, Yoshi-chan, TAKA Mizuho, Yukinē, Mika
28  Mexico Mar 11 2002 (#116) -
Jun 24 2002 (#128)
Reggae, Yoshi-chan, TAKA, Tiger Yukinē, Mika, Megu Tiger ♥ Megu (19th)
TAKA ♥ Mika (20th)
29  New Zealand Jul 01 2002 (#129) -
Aug 05 2002 (#134)
Nan-chan, Kōta, Keisuke, Tomokun Osugi, Yuri, Wakana
30  Australia Aug 05 2002 (#134) -
Oct 14 2002 (#143)
Nan-chan, Kōta, Keisuke, Daijō Osugi, Yuri, Wakana, Yukachin Keisuke ♥ Osugi (21st)
Daijō ♥ Yuri (22nd)
31  Papua New Guinea Oct 21 2002 (#144) -
Nov 18 2002 (#148)
Nan-chan, Kōta, Tetsu, Tsunayoshi Yukachin, Miho, Reika
32  Tonga Nov 25 2002 (#149) -
Dec 02 2002 (#150)
Nan-chan, Kōta, Tetsu, Kazu-kun Yukachin, Miho, Reika
33  Fiji Dec 02 2002 (#150) -
Dec 23 2002 (#153)
Nan-chan, Kōta, Tetsu, Kazu-kun Yukachin, Miho, Reika
34  Nicaragua Dec 29 2002 (#154) -
Feb 03 2003 (#159)
Kōta, Tetsu, Kazu-kun Yukachin, Miho, Reika Kōta ♥ Miho (23rd)
35  United States Feb 03 2003 (#159) -
Apr 21 2003 (#168)
Kazu-kun, Miyaken, Takurō, Asa-chan, Dobokun Yukachin, Saki, Marippe, Gachapin Kazu-kun ♥ Yukachin (24th)
Takurō ♥ Marippe (25th)
36  Canada Apr 21 2003 (#168) -
May 19 2003 (#172)
Miyaken, Asa-chan, Dobokun, Tazy Saki, Gachapin, Mikan Dobokun ♥ Saki (26th)
  • *1 : Paolo is a native person who participants met in the youth hostel in Italy. He could speak Japanese because he had stayed in Japan during one year.[3]
  • *2 : Once Midori had been jilted by Kin-chan, and been back to Japan from Vietnam. After that, she received a letter from him, and visited Thailand to meet him again there.[4]
  • *3 : Once Hisashi had been jilted by Mariko, and been back to Japan. But Mariko gave up the trip to meet Hisashi again in Japan.[5]

The Second Lap

# Country Air date Participants Couples
men women
37  Philippines May 26 2003 (#173) -
Jun 30 2003 (#178)
Miyaken, Asa-chan, Tazy, DAI Gachapin, Mikan, Yukky, Michelle*1
38  Indonesia Jun 30 2003 (#178) -
Jul 28 2003 (#182)
Asa-chan, Tazy, DAI, Boxer Gachapin, Yukky, Eiko, Sakura
39  Brunei Jul 28 2003 (#182) -
Aug 04 2003 (#183)
Asa-chan, DAI, Boxer, Shima Gachapin, Eiko, Sakura
40  Malaysia Aug 04 2003 (#183) -
Aug 11 2003 (#184) &
Aug 25 2003 (#186)
Asa-chan, DAI, Boxer, Shima Gachapin, Eiko, Sakura
41  Singapore Aug 11 2003 (#184) -
Aug 18 2003 (#185)
Asa-chan, DAI, Boxer, Shima Gachapin, Eiko, Sakura DAI ♥ Gachapin (27th)
42  Myanmar Sep 01 2003 (#187) -
Oct 13 2003 (#192)
Asa-chan, Boxer, Shima, Sōta, Hassy Eiko, Sakura, Rii
43  Bhutan Oct 20 2003 (#193) -
Dec 01 2003 (#198)
Sōta, Hassy, Hayato Sakura, Rii, Yūmin
44  Nepal Dec 01 2003 (#198) -
Jan 12 2004 (#203)
Asa-chan, Hassy, Hayato, Kōei Rii, Yūmin, Kaji
45  Sri Lanka Jan 12 2004 (#203) -
Feb 16 2004 (#208)
Asa-chan, Hassy, Hayato, Kōei Yūmin, Kaji, Miki
46  Madagascar Feb 23 2004 (#209) -
Apr 01 2004 (#214)
Asa-chan, Hayato, Kōei, Haolong Yūmin, Kaji, Miki
47  South Africa Apr 01 2004 (#214) -
May 17 2004 (#220)
Hayato, Kōei, Haolong, Hakase Yūmin, Kaji, Miki, Juri Hayato ♥ Yūmin (28th)
Kōei ♥ Miki (29th)
Dominic (Driver) ♥ Kaji (30th)
48  Botswana May 17 2004 (#220) -
Jun 07 2004 (#223)
Haolong, Hakase, Takky, Ryō Juri, Yuka, Numatchi
49  Namibia Jun 14 2004 (#224) -
Jul 19 2004 (#229)
Hakase, Takky, Ryō, Junpei Juri, Yuka, Numatchi Ryō ♥ Juri (31st)
50  Malawi Jul 19 2004 (#229) -
Aug 30 2004 (#235)
Takky, Junpei, Yū-kun, Hide Yuka, Numatchi, Seriha
51  Tanzania Sep 06 2004 (#236) -
Oct 18 2004 (#241)
Junpei, Yū-kun, Hide, Itchy Numatchi, Seriha, Kayo,
Pendo*1
52  Kenya Oct 18 2004 (#241) -
Nov 22 2004 (#246)
Junpei, Yū-kun, Hide, Itchy Seriha, Kayo, Ōse
53  Ethiopia Nov 22 2004 (#246) -
Jan 27 2005 (#252)
Junpei, Yū-kun, Hide, Itchy, Haisha Seriha, Ōse, Salt Itchy ♥ Seriha (32nd)
54  Cameroon Jan 10 2005 (#252) -
Feb 14 2005 (#257)
Junpei, Yū-kun, Hide, Bukurō Ōse, Salt, Riko
55  Tunisia Feb 14 2005 (#257) -
Apr 11 2005 (#263)
Yū-kun, Hide, Bukurō, Kōji Ōse, Salt, Riko Yū-kun ♥ Riko (33rd)
56  Egypt Apr 11 2005 (#263) -
May 16 2005 (#268)
Hide, Bukurō, Kōji, Arashi Ōse, Mikarin, Omami Bukurō ♥ Ōse (34th)
57  Oman May 16 2005 (#268) -
Jun 13 2005 (#272)
Hide, Kōji, Arashi, Susan Mikarin, Omami, Takano
58  United Arab Emirates Jun 13 2005 (#272) -
Jul 18 2005 (#277)
Hide, Kōji, Arashi, Susan Mikarin, Takano, Natchi
59  Qatar Jul 25 2005 (#278) -
Aug 01 2005 (#279)
Hide, Arashi, Susan, tk Mikarin, Takano
60  Bahrain Aug 01 2005 (#279) -
Sep 05 2005 (#284)
Hide, Arashi, Susan, tk Mikarin, Omami, Takano
61  Russia Sep 12 2005 (#285) -
Oct 17 2005 (#288)
Hide, Arashi, Susan, tk MIE, Ume-chan, Aya
62  Ukraine Oct 17 2005 (#288) -
Nov 28 2005 (#294)
Hide, Arashi, Susan, tk MIE, Ume-chan, Aya
63  Romania Nov 28 2005 (#294) -
Jan 16 2006 (#299)
Hide, Arashi, Susan, Alec MIE, Ume-chan, Aya Arashi ♥ Aya (35th)
64  Hungary Jan 16 2006 (#299) -
Mar 06 2006 (#305)
Susan, Alec, Tagami-kun, Outlaw MIE, Izumi, Hisayon,
Andy*1
65  Austria Mar 13 2006 (#306) -
Apr 24 2006 (#310)
Susan, Alec, Tagami-kun, Outlaw Izumi, Hisayon, Goki
66  Liechtenstein Apr 24 2006 (#310) Susan, Tagami-kun, Outlaw Izumi, Hisayon, Goki
67  Switzerland Apr 24 2006 (#310) -
Jun 19 2006 (#318)
Susan, Tagami-kun, Outlaw, Sōri Izumi, Hisayon, Goki Outlaw ♥ Goki*2
Susan ♥ MIE (36th)*3
68  Croatia Jul 03 2006 (#320) -
Jul 24 2006 (#323)
Tagami-kun, Sōri, Tachi, Uekki Hisayon, Chaki, Yankumi
69  Bosnia and Herzegovina Jul 31 2006 (#324) -
Aug 28 2006 (#328)
Sōri, Tachi, Uekki, Yokomī Hisayon, Chaki, Yankumi
70  Poland Sep 04 2006 (#329) -
Oct 23 2006 (#334)
Tachi, Uekki, Yokomī, San-chan Chaki, Yankumi, Junko Tachi ♥ Junko (37th)
71  Sweden Oct 30 2006 (#335) -
Dec 04 2006 (#340)
Uekki, Yokomī, San-chan, ISSY Chaki, Yankumi, Nagisa Uekki ♥ Chaki (38th)
72  Norway Dec 11 2006 (#341) -
Jan 29 2007 (#346)
Yokomī, San-chan, ISSY, Gla-san Yankumi, Nagisa, Bambi
73  Iceland Feb 12 2007 (#348) -
Mar 19 2007 (#352)
San-chan, ISSY, Gla-san, Moriken Nagisa, Bambi, Miyanē ISSY ♥ Nagisa (39th)
  • *1 : Michele, Pendo, and Andy are native persons. Michele was a special participant as the commemoration of the Second Lap. Pendo and Andy took part in the trip during only 1 episode.
  • *2 : In the episode #315, Outlaw gave up the trip because of the mistake by the staff, and Goki also did. But in the episode #317, they reported that they had met again in Japan and had started to love each other.[6] Although they are not counted as an official couple of the program.
  • *3 : Once MIE had been jilted by Susan, and been back to Japan from Hungary. But in Switzerland Susan gave up the trip and went back to Japan to meet her again.[7]

The Indefinite Travel (after the Second Lap)

# Country Air date Participants Couples
men women
74  Dominican Republic Apr 09 2007 (#353) -
May 7 2007 (#357)
San-chan, Gla-san, Moriken, Oga Bambi, Miyanē, Hiroe
75  Trinidad and Tobago May 21 2007 (#359) -
May 28 2007 (#360)
San-chan, Gla-san, Moriken, Oga Miyanē, Hiroe, Neko
76  Suriname Jun 04 2007 (#361) -
Jun 18 2007 (#363)
San-chan, Gla-san, Moriken, Oga Miyanē, Hiroe, Neko
77  Venezuela Jun 18 2007 (#363) -
Jul 30 2007 (#368)
Gla-san, Moriken, Oga, Hiderinko Miyanē, Hiroe, Neko
78  Taiwan Aug 06 2007 (#369) -
Sep 03 2007 (#373)
Gla-san, Moriken, Teppei, Pochi Hiroe, Neko, Kuu
79  Tuvalu Sep 03 2007 (#373) -
Sep 17 2007 (#375)
Moriken, Teppei, Pochi Neko, Kuu, Chaba
80  Samoa Sep 24 2007 (#376) -
Oct 22 2007 (#378)
Moriken, Teppei, Pochi, Carbonara Neko, Kuu, Chaba Moriken ♥ Kuu (40th)
81  Mongolia Oct 29 2007 (#379) -
Nov 26 2007 (#383)
Teppei, Carbonara, Danny Neko, Chaba, Remi
82  Germany Dec 03 2007 (#384) -
Mar 10 2008 (#394)
Carbonara, Danny, Miya-kun, Ryō, Seiji Remi, Momo, Kuro Ryō ♥ Remi (41st)
83  Czech Republic Mar 10 2008 (#395) -
Apr 14 2008 (#398)
Danny, Miya-kun, Seiji, Umi Momo, Kuro, Yokko
84  Slovakia Apr 14 2008 (#398) Danny, Miya-kun, Seiji, Umi Momo, Kuro, Yokko
85  Ghana Apr 21 2008 (#399) -
May 26 2008 (#403)
Miya-kun, Seiji, Umi, Kōsuke Momo, Kuro, Yokko
86  Benin May 26 2008 (#403) -
Jul 28 2008 (#412)
Miya-kun, Umi, Kōsuke, Shrek Momo, Kuro, Yokko
87  Mali Aug 04 2008 (#413) -
Aug 25 2008 (#416)
Umi, Kōsuke, Shrek Momo, Yokko, Yamaji
88  Laos Sep 02 2008 (#417) -
Nov 03 2008 (#424)
Kōsuke, Shrek, Umeo, Gōya Momo, Yokko, Yamaji Kōsuke ♥ Yokko (42nd)
89  Jordan Nov 03 2008 (#424) -
Dec 15 2008 (#430)
Shrek, Umeo, Gōya, Tadatchi Momo, Yamaji, Māmin Umeo ♥ Momo (43rd)
90  Cyprus Dec 22 2008 (#431) -
Feb 9 2009 (#436)
Shrek, Gōya, Tadatchi, Wrestler (Ryouji Sai) Yamaji, Māmin, Hime
91  Denmark Feb 9 2009 (#436) -
Mar 23 2009 (#441)
Shrek, Gōya, Tadatchi, Wrestler Māmin, Hime, Garlic Gōya ♥ Hime (44th)
92  Netherlands Mar 23 2009 (#441) Shrek, Tadatchi, Wrestler, Shun Māmin, Garlic, Shihonosuke

Ainori 2

# Country Air date Participants Couples
men women
01  Bangladesh Dec 25 2010 (#001) -
Apr 30 2011 (#010)
Denji, Kawahei, Kobacchi, Gorilla, Keeper, Takkan Asami, Yamaji, Chamu, Yui, Hakamai Kobacchi ♥ Asami (45th)
Kawahei ♥ Chamu (46th)

Memorable Incidents

Although relationships between staff and participants are forbidden, some incidents involving staff have occurred:

Other memorable incidents include:

Fundraising

Since April 2004, the program started the fundraising campaign called Ainori Bokin (Ainori Fundraising). This is a donation for poor countries visited in the program. The money has been mainly used for children living in these countries, and the schools called Ainori Gakko (Ainori School) have been built.[10]

Commentators

Trivia

References

External links