Japan has given the world so much: sushi, ramen, kabuki theatre, origami, geisha, love hotels, kareoke. But, like I've said before, the most important thing they've given the world is Iron Chef. I came across the Wikipedia entry on the show (thanks, Joe, great effort on SoA). It brings a tear to my just to read it:

Each episode presents a culinary battle between two chefs in "Kitchen Stadium". A contestant, usually a famous chef from Japan or elsewhere, is pitted against one of the show's four "Iron Chefs". Each of the Iron Chefs is an expert in a different cuisine, either Japanese, Chinese, French, or Italian. The chefs have one hour to complete their dishes. At the end of the hour, a panel of Japanese celebrities tastes and rates the dishes and crowns a victor.

The flamboyant host, Takeshi Kaga (鹿賀丈史) (known on the show as Chairman Kaga), and extravagant production values, contrasted with curiously pedestrian voice-over narration and polite but generally insipid commentary from the judges, not all of whom are food professionals ("This is really very good"), contribute to the eccentric style of the show.