The Hot Spot / ホットスポット

A 10-episode Japanese slice-of-life comedy with light humor.

It seems to feature quite famous Japanese actors, but I don’t recognize any of them. The story is about an ordinary small town near Mount Fuji, a small inn, an “alien” with superpowers, and the funny stories of a group of colleagues.

Honestly, the first two episodes were a bit boring, filled with unnecessary dialogue that really missed the mark. But as I watched a few more, it started to get quite amusing, and the final three episodes were definitely the peak – they brilliantly tied everything together and explained the title, ‘Hot Spot.’

Beyond the extensive talking, what really drew me in were the actors’ captivating expressions and movements, along with the stunning scenery. The show’s main locations were Fujiyoshida City in Yamanashi Prefecture, right by Mount Fuji, and a nearby inn, the ‘Lake Hotel Asanoko.’ You’ll see Mount Fuji in the background of many shots throughout the series.

The ‘Asanoko’ hotel itself is where a lot of the story unfolds, with its main entrance offering a direct view of Mount Fuji.

You can see Mount Fuji from many different spots — it’s really stunning.

I’ve been to Tokyo three times, Hokkaido once, and Osaka once — all mainly for shopping and eating. I didn’t really do much sightseeing. But after watching this drama, I really feel like going.

Also, many of the restaurant scenes in the show were filmed in these two places: “Mont Blanc” and “Jonathan’s.”

Mont Blanc is an actual restaurant located in Yoshida City.

And this Jonathan’s is actually located in Mitaka City, Tokyo.

This website provides detailed information about the locations featured in the drama (In Chinese)

One of the main characters, “the Alien” Mr. Takahashi, has some incredible abilities — bending a coin, moving at high speed, and an amazing jumping ability.