REALITY TV is a phenomenon that’s been around since 2000, when the iconic US show Survivor was first aired on TV in that country. Since then, the reality TV genre has exploded in the industry to the extent that many people around the world have become completely obsessed with reality TV culture.

An off-beat new reality TV show, I Survived A Japanese Game Show, is set to keep viewers entertained this season – and give new meaning to reality TV craziness. Reality goes abroad in this project that sends US contestants overseas to Japan to compete in challenges in a foreign culture.

Starting on Animax on DStv on Thursday, this game show follows 10 Americans who are whisked away to the East to compete in the ultimate Japanese game show – with hilarious results.

The final winner will take home $250000 (R1,75- million) in prize money. Contestants are informed they are to take part in a reality-style competition, but not told about the nature of the show. They are flown to Tokyo and sent off to Toho Studios, where it is revealed they are to compete on a Japanese game show called Majide.

The first episode sees the finalists being split into two teams, The Green Monkeys and the Yellow Penguins, as they face off to see who can eat the most squishy mochi balls, with the winners getting a bird’s eye view of Tokyo via a helicopter tour.

In every episode, the winning team is given a reward activity – after both teams compete in a task – while the losing team is given a punishment activity. Members of the losing team are also chosen to compete in an additional game head- to-head, where the loser of that game is eliminated.

Whoever adapts best to Japanese culture, and each episode's challenges, wins the prize money.

Season one is hosted by the US’s Tony Sano, who has appeared in MTV Spring Break Japan and also in Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight.

The series follows not only the Majide competition, but also the contestants' activities backstage and outside the game show in reality style. The contestants share a house where they must live in accordance with Japanese culture and customs.

For the season finale, there are three intense elimination rounds to determine the winner.

I Survived a Japanese Game Show airs Thursdays on Animax at 8pm.