On October 12, a special 4-hour program titled 'Tunnels no Okage desu!' (Thanks to Tunnels!) aired on Radio Karos Sapporo, a community FM station in Sapporo. What started as a special broadcast on a local station created an unprecedented event when Takaaki Ishibashi of Tunnels himself responded during the show, making headlines in online news across Japan. We spoke with actor Yukihiro Eda, the program's host, about the story behind the special and his personal feelings for the comedy duo Tunnels.

――First, could you tell us what inspired you to plan this special program?

Yukihiro Eda, an actor active mainly in Hokkaido

I often talked about Tunnels on my internet radio show, 'Eda no Fanclub.' For people of my generation, Tunnels are truly special. When they held their 'Tunnels THE LIVE' concert at the Budokan last year, I talked about it on my show, and the response from listeners was incredible. But an internet radio show tends to stay within its own fanbase. I thought it would be fun to share everyone's love for Tunnels in a broader space, so I took a leap and proposed a special program to Radio Karos. Initially, I was thinking of 2-3 hours, but Mr. Kobayashi, the station director, said, 'Let's make it a big one and do 4 hours' (laughs). From there, preparations kicked into high gear.

My co-host, Fujiko Gokaku (Gokaku-chan), is a famous 'Wanfu' (the term for Tunnels fans) to anyone who listened to 'Tunnels' All Night Nippon.' We met by chance three or four years ago, and although she lives in Tokyo now, it just so happened that she was coming to Sapporo, so I asked her to do the special with me.

――You're from the Tunnels generation yourself, aren't you?

During the live broadcast of Radio Karos Sapporo's 'Tunnels no Okage desu!'

Yes, I am. I'm turning 52 this year, and my middle and high school years were the peak of Tunnels' popularity. It was the era that went from 'Yuyake Nyan Nyan' to 'Tunnels no Minasan no Okage desu.' At first, they seemed a bit too mature for me and I didn't get it, but I got more and more into them in middle school.

And 'Tunnels' All Night Nippon' left a big impression. On the show, they'd share behind-the-scenes stories about making their songs or what happened before a broadcast—all these 'industry insider' stories, which was so much fun.

――Do you think they've influenced your own work today?

Absolutely. I had admired the entertainment world after listening to Beat Takeshi's 'All Night Nippon,' but it was after Tunnels' radio show started that I began to think concretely, 'I want to be on TV,' 'I want to perform in front of people.' Back then, it was common for comedians to become an apprentice to someone or go to a comedy school, but Tunnels were complete amateurs who won an audition show and seized their chance with sheer momentum. Watching them gave me hope that maybe I could do it too.

Even on my own internet radio show now, I talk about behind-the-scenes stories from when I've appeared in plays or movies. That's definitely the influence of 'Tunnels' All Night Nippon.'

――A 4-hour special must have required a lot of preparation.

The number of requests and messages was just beyond imagination. We received over 100 submissions, and each one was packed with emotion. Stories of regret about not being able to see a concert in high school, or on the flip side, comments of joy from those who did... Every single message had a story and was so passionate. It was a lot of work to read them all, select the music, and plan the overall flow of the show. But more than that, I was so happy to realize that so many people still cherish Tunnels today.

We were also particular about the song selection. They have spin-off units like Yaen and Yajima Biyoshitsu, but we decided to go with '100% pure Tunnels' this time. We divided Tunnels' career into four eras and chose four songs from each period to play in their entirety. We made the final choices based on the requests and messages, thinking, 'We want to read this story, so let's play this song.'

――And then, on the day of the broadcast, the miracle happened: Takaaki Ishibashi of Tunnels responded.

Gokaku-chan shedding tears after the reaction from Taka-san

I truly couldn't believe it. In the middle of the broadcast, the station director told me, 'It looks like Taka-san is listening,' and at first, I thought he was joking. But then I saw the post on X for real. My co-host Gokaku-chan was crying, and I was struggling to keep my composure (laughs). Taka-san had just recently announced his battle with cancer. That's why I was so moved that his first post in nine months was a reaction to our show.

ラジオカロスサッポロ！
楽しくYouTubeで聞いてます！
沢山メッセージをありがとう！
元気になります！
ゴカク魂！！！

— 石橋貴明 (@ishibashi_desho) October 12, 2025

We received many messages from fans saying, 'Thanks to the special, we were so happy to feel Taka-san's presence right now.' It immediately became online news, and more articles came out the next day... The response was just unbelievable. I thought from the bottom of my heart, 'I'm so glad we did this.'

― Looking back, what are your thoughts after finishing the special program?

Eda-san, flustered by Taka-san's reaction

Throughout the 4-hour broadcast, I realized just how many people still love Tunnels today. Being able to share the same feelings with fellow 'Wanfu' was the greatest sense of accomplishment. I really think there's a certain passion that can only be conveyed through radio.

I want to tell Taka-san, 'We Wanfu can wait forever! Please focus all your energy on getting well.' I hope that sentiment reached him through our special program.

You can watch the broadcast archive here