![]() But sadly, we know that the presence of an adult doesn’t necessarily protect children from that horror. One glaring example is gun violence, something that’s rare in Japan and alarmingly predictable in our country. You’re probably thinking: America is not Japan. If there were an American version, parents who allowed their children to appear would probably be framed as irresponsible, or the kids would be shown to need parental support at every turn. In addition to being utterly charmed by how cute the show is, I thought: This wouldn’t fly in the United States. And the kids are brimming with pride after accomplishing their tasks. But the narrative is basically the same every time: A child overcomes fears or hesitations by running an errand, learning to politely ask questions of supportive and kind adults when help is needed to figure out how to pay for lunch or cross a busy street. Sometimes they get distracted from their appointed mission and start playing, and they often notice and interact with the camera operators, who appear in the background of many scenes. (The show’s original title is translated as “My First Errand.”) These tiny children are shown toddling by themselves to the grocery store, to their grandmother’s house to pick something up or to a local farm to yank an enormous cabbage out of the ground. It is called “Old Enough!” and depicts Japanese little ones, some as young as 2, taking their first solo journeys. ![]() An aggressively adorable reality show that’s been on for decades in Japan recently hit Netflix.
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