Footage supposedly showing a Japanese game show in which contestants must serve tea in a slanted room has been shared across social media platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
One version of this claim appeared in a video shared to X on Oct. 14, 2024, which had amassed more than 21.7 million views as of this writing.
(@HumansNoContext/X)
However, a community note accompanying the clip said it showed a comedic skit by Japanese YouTube channel Tokai On Air — not a game show. The community note was correct.
YouTube's translated subtitles show the episode was included as part of a 26-minute video titled, "The Leaning House," which was posted to the platform on Dec. 28, 2021.
In it, the "girlfriend" character Keiko Suzuki brings her "boyfriend" character Hiroshi Shibata home to meet her parents.
"But the house is [a] little different, so don't be surprised by it," said Suzuki. "You see, there used to be a mountain here… because flattening it costs a lot of money. Build it like this! My dad said."
The duo are shown opening a slanted door into a tilted room to an awaiting father. The skit continues as the young man struggles to find his seat at the table — literally and metaphorically.
Though the footage was indeed Japanese, it depicted a skit, not a game show, which is why we have rated the video as miscaptioned.