「ロンドンのスノードーム」
Iwai returns from a London trip and presents Abe with a snow globe souvenir, recounting the broad strokes of his journey. He covers the hardship of a nearly sleepless 14-hour flight, buying a Globe-Trotter suitcase at Heathrow, and the moment a Mixi 2 post inadvertently revealed he was in Westminster. The full London sightseeing stories are held over for next week.
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What this episode answers
What was depicted inside the snow globe Iwai brought back as a souvenir?
The globe contains part of Buckingham Palace, a guard from the band, and a red telephone box; there is also a motif resembling a clock tower, though the conversation moved on to conclude that 'this isn't Big Ben either.'
What does 'nobody has actually seen Big Ben' mean?
The famous clock tower tourists commonly call 'Big Ben' is not technically Big Ben — Big Ben is actually the name of the bell inside the tower, meaning tourists who say they 'saw Big Ben' have not really seen it.
What were the travel conditions like on the way to London?
The flight took 14 hours; Iwai hadn't slept properly the night before departure and only managed about an hour of sleep on the plane, arriving locally around 3 or 4 AM with a 6-to-8-hour time difference, leaving him sleepy for the entire 5-day stay.
How was the Globe-Trotter suitcase Iwai bought at Heathrow received in London?
Nobody in London reacted to it at all; the only 'we have the same one' exchange he had at the airport was with another Japanese traveler, and he later regretted not buying 'the 007 one' instead.
Why did Iwai's presence in London get exposed on Mixi 2?
He posted a photo with a certain sign, assuming no one would work it out, but a listener pointed out that the mark was not Chanel but the Westminster crest, pinpointing exactly where he was.
The Snow Globe Reveal
Back from London, Iwai handed Abe (阿部) a snow globe as a souvenir. Inside the clear dome sits a red telephone box, part of Buckingham Palace, and a guard from a band — all classic London imagery. The reaction was warm — "how cute" — but also gently mocking, with someone saying it looked "like a grade-schooler made it." Iwai explained that while red telephone boxes still exist in London, they are no longer actually in use and survive purely as tourist landmarks.
Nobody Has Actually Seen Big Ben
The snow globe's clock-tower motif triggered a piece of trivia. What everyone calls "Big Ben" — the famous clock tower — is not technically Big Ben at all. Big Ben is the name of the bell housed inside the tower; the tower itself carries a different name. "Everyone says they've seen Big Ben, but apparently they haven't," Iwai explained, before looking at the globe and concluding, "So this isn't Big Ben either."
A 14-Hour Flight with Almost No Sleep
The journey to London took 14 hours in the air. Iwai had not slept well the night before departure, and on the plane he managed only about one hour of sleep. He arrived at his destination around 3 or 4 AM local time, with a 6-to-8-hour time difference. "I was tired the whole trip," he recalled — five days was not enough to fully shake the jet lag. Returning to Japan was its own shock: London's overnight lows had been around 5°C, while Japan was in the grip of a heat wave.
During the trip Iwai barely touched his phone. The only news that reached him was something involving Sugiyama-san, and the fact that Perfect Burger Man had appeared on the TV show "Pokapoka." He also mentioned that something serious had happened in France while he was traveling in Europe, and added, "Glad I didn't go to France."
Globe-Trotter Goes Unnoticed in London
At Heathrow Airport, Iwai picked up a suitcase from the British brand Globe-Trotter. Before leaving Japan he had imagined that carrying it in its home country would earn him some knowing looks or comments, but nobody in London reacted at all. The one "we have the same one" moment came at the airport — and the other traveler turned out to be Japanese. He looked back with mild regret: "I should have bought the 007 one."
Westminster Exposed on Mixi 2
Iwai is essentially the only figure in the entertainment industry still actively running Mixi 2 (ミクシー2), where his follower count has been plateauing at 3,299. During the trip he decided that a photo taken alongside a particular sign was safe to post — "nobody will figure this out." A listener immediately corrected him: that was not a Chanel mark but the Westminster crest, meaning he had pinpointed his own location. "I basically posted the answer," he said with a wry laugh. His co-star Kanda-san had already worked out where he was from listening to the show but had kept quiet on air, which Iwai appreciated.
Next Week's Preview and the '2nd-Generation Mine Ryuta' Idea
This week's episode wrapped up with the snow globe reveal and travel hardships; the proper London sightseeing stories are carried over to next week. Iwai described the episode himself as "the London trip cavity episode."
In the after-talk, a listener letter was read — radio name: Oedo Numataro. It noted that Lily of Mitorizu is also aiming to follow in the footsteps of Mine Ryuta (ミネリュウタ), the mentor figure who once had a custom jacket made for Iwai. The letter proposed a TBS Radio special pitting Lily, Iwai, and Rainbow's Jumbo against each other in a competition for the title of "2nd-generation Mine Ryuta." Both hosts got genuinely animated about the concept, throwing out specifics: "Have Mine-san on as a guest," and "winner gets a jacket."
Takeaways
- Iwai's London trip was a grueling ordeal — a 14-hour flight with almost no sleep and jet lag that lingered throughout the entire 5-day stay.
- A photo Iwai posted to Mixi 2 thinking it was innocuous was immediately decoded by a listener, who identified the Westminster crest and pinpointed his location.
- The clock tower universally called 'Big Ben' is not technically Big Ben — that name belongs to the bell inside the tower, meaning most tourists have never actually seen the real Big Ben.
This article is edited from a machine transcript of the first 30 minutes of the episode. It is not an official summary — please listen to the episode itself.