PythagoraSwitch explained

is a 15-minute Japanese educational television program that has been aired by NHK since April 9, 2002. It encourages augmenting children's "way of thinking" under the supervision of and . A five-minute format called PythagoraSwitch Mini is also available.

During the beginning and ending of each episode, and between each corner (segment), there are . "Pythagorean device" is the equivalent Japanese colloquialism for the American "Rube Goldberg machine" and British "Heath Robinson" contraption. The main focus of the program is a puppet show, but the subject is mainly advanced by small corners. World phenomena, principles, characteristics, and the like are introduced in an entertaining way. At the end of each segment, the show's title is sung as a kind of punchline.

Segments

In the show, segments are called "corners".

Today's Topic

A puppet show in which explains the structure of the world to young penguins, and . A recurring situation is that, while discussing each topic, Encyclopedia will say, to what the penguins, after looking at said page, respond After that, the three call upon an anthropomorphic dog-like TV, who shows them a video about the topic. A mouse called is also featured.

Underground Gora Switch

A puppet show similar to Today's Topic in which a little mole, who lives underground in Pita and Gora's basement, named observes the way world works through a periscope. A common occurrence is that Gurao's periscope will run out before he can see how whatever he's looking at works and when this happens, Gurao calls for his father, asking to learn more. The two then call for, an anthropomorphic pig-like tablet who shows them a video about the topic. Suu from Today's Topic sometimes appears interacting with Gurao and Chikada Mogurou. This segment appears infrequently.

Pythagora Devices

are frequently featured.

Algorithm Exercise

A corner broadcast since 2002. It stars the duo . It is algorithm themed, so that the movements that are done side by side are related ("crouching motion" combines with "shaking arms", so that the arms avoid the action, etc.). Usually, the duo does the exercise with special guests, such as NHK announcers, baseball players, sumo wrestlers, etc.

There are also individual versions for each member: the "Yamada version" and the "Kikuchi version".

Algorithm March

See main article: article and Algorithm March.

Father Switch

A segment in which a father and his child act out sequences and play games based on any of the Japanese letter sounds.

Other Corners

• ：A segment in which a straight line bends into different shapes, forming different things.
  1. Sumo wrestler
  2. Tea kettle
  3. Chicks
  4. Hammer Thrower
  5. Pteranodon
• : A segment in which a black box asks the viewer a question about objects inside it.
• : A potato shaped like a dice (voiced by Iwao Nozomi) moves forward and backward and to the left and right in the tiles drawn on the ground, with words written on each side of him. He can move even if he is out of the tiles.
• : A segment where different things appear with circles and triangles above them. The triangle groups usually disappear.
  1. Pigeons that flew away.
  2. Sushi taken by customers.
  3. People with hand warmers in their pockets.
  4. Ice hockey players.
• : This segment introduces the stages of product testing before the shipment of industrial products.
  1. Office chairs
  2. Ballpoint pens
• : Animated shorts about a dog named Framy, who is made out of clear squares. Other characters that are composed of simple figures, but they are not transparent. Sometimes; Framy's brothers, and, appear in their own stories or interacting with Framy.
• : a critique of Pythagorean Devices by Ms. Hammer Critic (voiced by Mio Ueta), in some segments a dissection of the Pythagora Devices are demonstrated to show “how the trick works”.
  1. Equipment No. 147: 3 Cups
  2. Equipment No. 175: The Come Back Car
  3. Equipment No. 144: The Toothpick
  4. Equipment No. 107: Egg 2
• : A segment in which the viewer is taught a different experiment.
  1. : an egg floats on a cup filled with water mixed with salt
  2. : a pine cone dipped in a glass of water contracts, and when dry it expands back to normal.
  3. : a nori seaweed in a clear package becomes transparent when dipped in a glass of water.
  4. : lifting a salted ice cube with a string.
  5. : pouring water to a cup in front of a paper inscribed (with the pu mirrored horizontally) reverses that letter's image.
  6. "Mini" segment: whiteboard art on a mirror floats when dipped on a tub of water.
  7. "Mini" segment: A boiled egg can spin around.
  8. "Mini" segment: See the inside of an aluminum bag with your smartphone's flashlight when you turn off the lights.
• : A segment where a man can turn himself invisible and challenges the viewer to try to follow him around. The segment ends, usually, with a dog barking and the Invisible Man declaring that he "can't stand dogs!".
  1. He challenges the viewers to find him on top of a building.
  2. He challenges the viewers to find him in the ground where he fell after rescuing a cat.
• : Tsutomu Sekine and Jonio Iwai perform what seems to be physically impossible feats using stop-motion photography. At the end of each segment, the title of the corner changes to .
• : A claymation featuring clay characters named Nendore and Nandore tripping on various objects resulting in impressions:
  1. TV remote and peanuts
  2. Colored pencils and a piece of cheese
  3. Cellophane tape dispenser and magnet
  4. Bottle opener and clothespin
  5. Acorns and dice
  6. Mosquito coil and seashells
  7. Marbles and shogi pieces
• : A stop-motion animation segment featuring ordinary objects being brought to life.
  1. , eraser
  2. , drinking straw
  3. , rubber band
  4. , bolt
  5. , sugar cube
  6. , sticky note
  7. , chopsticks
  8. , shoe brush
  9. , matchbox
  10. , aluminum foil

Also includes and segments for some of the above creatures.

• : This segment teaches how to make gadgets and gimmicks included in Pythagora Devices.
  • Beginner Course
    1. Zigzag Sloping Road
    2. Time Lag Device
    3. Flip-flop Top
  • Intermediate Course
    1. A Winding Road
    2. Marble Accelerator
  • Advanced Course
    1. A catapult.
• : A segment featuring handkerchiefs with the characters, Pita and Gora, on them. These handkerchiefs tell a story about the characters.
  1. • 1. • 1. • 1. • : A segment in which the viewer has to spot three differences in two pictures.
• : An animated segment about a tape measure named Jackie, who helps his friends or plays with the viewer.
  1. Measuring the TV Screen Episode
  2. Let's Go Mr. Remote Episode
  3. Is Anyone Nine Centimeters Tall? Episode
  4. Measuring the Vacuum Cord Episode
  5. Measuring the Kitchen Scale Episode
  6. The Lookalike Episode
  7. The Wind Around Tape Episode
• : Ten small sticks join together and transform into various things.
• : A segment that introduces different, interesting bridges.
  1. Swing bridge (Amanohashidate, Kyoto)
  2. Bascule bridge (Tei Port Moveable Bridge in Kōnan, Kōchi)
  3. Lift bridge (Kagasunobashi in Tokushima)
  4. Transporter bridge (Vizcaya Bridge in Biscay, Spain)
  5. Submersible bridge (on Corinth Canal in Isthmia, Greece)
  6. Rolling bascule bridge (Te Matau ā Pohe in Whangārei, New Zealand)
• : A segment in which the viewer is invited to count different objects.
• : In a certain place, a start switch is pressed in a machine, which introduces something happening.
  1. A Ferris wheel being lit up at night.
  2. A roller coaster.
  3. The spotlights onstage of an opera house.
• : A segment in which an object is pushed through a shape it can just barley pass through on a conveyor belt, there's also a "turning version".
• : A segment which introduces various robots (mainly work robots).
  1. Sentry robot
  2. Bicycle parking
  3. Automatic milking
  4. A robot that goes into rocky gaps to save people's lives.
  5. A robot that moves red hot metals.
  6. A robot that puts books onto a book shelf.
• : A segment in which different concepts are introduced in 5 seconds.
• : Motion capture animation, in which dots appear one by one, inviting readers to guess what animal is depicted in the initial film.
  1. An inchworm
  2. A monkey
  3. A crab
  4. A pigeon
• : A segment in which the viewer has to guess what kind of object something is based on its numbers.
  1. The dates on a calendar
  2. The numbers on a grocery store salespaper
• : Different shapes appear on a turntable and turn into different objects.
  1. A horse
  2. Fish bones
  3. Walking the dog
  4. A Squid
• : An inlay of dots, as in What Animal is This?, together with motion capture, invites viewers to guess what these dots form or person is doing.
  1. Bullfighting
  2. Conducting
  3. Rhythmic Gymnastics
  4. Air hockey
  5. A ladybug walking on a leaf
  6. Eggs being sorted
• : A segment in which the viewer has to guess which object is real and which one is not.
  1. Tangerines
  2. Pencils
  3. Teacups
• : The viewer is invited to play rock paper scissors with a Pythagora device.
• : A segment featuring a game where a kid does chores based around the Japanese letters, similar to Father Switch .
• : A segment in which a kid plays a game, putting toys or household items on a character named . 100 grams is achieved by getting up to 95-99 grams then offered 1 or more yen coins from the and placing the coins on the scale.
• : A segment in which the Japanese letters form a word using an animated Pythagora device.
• : Japanese letters form a word on a conveyor belt.
• : A segment featuring song in which the viewer has to guess which similar Japanese symbol is forming. There's also versions called, and .
• : A segment in which a kid writes a "secret message" that can only be read by wrapping the paper around a cylinder shaped stick to their father, requesting to do an activity with him.
• : Two friends named Tatehiko and Yokohiko draw pictures together. Yokohiko can only move left and right while Tatehiko can help him move up and down.
• : A segment in which an image passes by a gap and the viewer has to guess what it is.
  1. A soccer ball.
  2. A pinecone.
  3. A wooden carved bear.
  4. A watering can.
• : A segment in which Botejin appears, meeting other similar creatures.
  1. • 1. • 1. • : A segment similar to a computer game. It has a cube like dog named Inuten, directions such as "left", "right", "up" and "down" are called to help him reach a certain goal.
• : A segment in which an animal reaches a certain goal.
  1. A ladybug walks across Japanese words to form sentences.
  2. A lizard goes into his cage by following the sunlight.
• : A segment similar to Animal Program in which an animal reaches a certain goal.
  1. A ladybug goes up and down a ramp.
  2. A bug goes through a maze.
• : The viewer is asked to guess a certain kind of imprint.
  1. A track runner.
• : Similar to "Pythagora Code Stick", a child writes a secret message to their father using paper cups.
• : A segment introducing "one minute crafts" that the viewer can try at home.
  1. Today's Snack Device
  2. CD Case Person
• : Ms. Hammer Critic explains how to fix errors in Pythagora Equipment.
• : A boy and his friends observe a man miming different actions. The boy asks the man what he is doing and the viewer sees a video of it.
  1. Brushing a tortoise's shell.
• : A stop motion animation where 10 sugar cubes arrange into different shapes, similar to "10 Stick Anime".
• : An animation in which a digital person shaped like tiles can move around on tiled surfaces.

Actors

,, and, are some of the voice actors who perform and call out the topics. provides narration and voices a character named, a mouse who sometimes introduces the show or introduces segments.

Broadcast

Outside Japan, NHK World Premium broadcasts PythagoraSwitch Mini. In Brazil, TV Cultura has been broadcasting it under the title Viva Pitágoras! since at least 2006.^[1] Starting April 2015, an English version of PythagoraSwitch Mini has been broadcast on NHK World TV. In addition, some PythagoraSwitch videos are also available on Google Video, YouTube and DailyMotion.

Awards

At the 30th Japan Prize International Educational Program Contest, in 2003, episode 25 "Let's Look at It Another Way" won top prize, the Prime Minister's award, of the Early Education category.^[2] At Prix Jeunesse 2004 in Munich it won top prize in the age 6 and below non-fiction category.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Web site: www.tvcultura.com.br . www.tvcultura.com.br . 12 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20061108154548/http://www.tvcultura.com.br/programacao.aspx . 8 November 2006 . dead.
2. Web site: JAPAN PRIZE International Contest For Educational Media. www.nhk.or.jp.
3. Web site: Press Release - Prix Jeunesse 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20120508091614/http://www3.nhk.or.jp/pr/english/press/pdf/20040621.pdf. dead. May 8, 2012.