Q: That last obstacle course thing was intense! Did it take a long time to tape that segment?
Justin: Oh wow, it sure felt like it! I lost all concept of time. It seemed like it was thirty minutes, but actually what you saw on TV was the whole thing. The whole take. The hardest part of that was the sticky wall – we were covered in egg, wet, it was just like, "I can't do it!" Really, it took maybe five minutes. But it sure felt a lot longer.
Q: Will you stay in touch with any of the other contestants?
Justin: Oh yeah, with Donnell, you know, that wasn't just for show. That was real. He's a great guy, a class act. I have a lot of respect for him, and we're great friends. They're all a great group of people though, and we all have each other's e-mail addresses so we'll keep in touch. They all e-mailed to congratulate me, because no one other than Donnell knew that I had won until the show aired.
Q: Which leads into my next question – how difficult was it to keep everything a secret from your friends and family when you got back?
Justin: That was really hard, to keep a secret of that magnitude! Everyone was asking me, "How'd you do?" That was the big question. And I'd just say that I didn't do too badly, and after a few episodes I was saying that I was proud of how I did, trying to play it down a bit. Then more friends and family that I didn't know I had would ask me about it, as it got closer to the end. More and more people got interested, but of course I couldn't say anything.
Q: What was the first thing you did when you got back home?
Justin: Eat fattening American food and wash it all down with a giant soda! We ate really well in Japan though – lots of chicken and vegetables, and I felt really good when I left. But sometimes you just have to have that fast food stuff. So we hit Taco Bell and I ate a lot!
Q: You said on the show that if you won the money, you'd take your girlfriend on a trip and buy her an engagement ring. Is that still the plan?
Justin: Well you know, I said that because she was in the audience and I wanted her to feel special. But you know, when you first start out in the game you're thinking of all the things you can go out and blow the money on, but as it gets closer to the end and you have a real shot at winning it, then you start to think more practically.
I still absolutely want to buy her an engagement ring though, and I'm going to put most of that money towards retirement. After the government gets their big chunk of course. But I'll have some fun with it too, you know, take a trip and buy myself a new truck.
Q: Have random people been coming up to you and shouting, "Majide!"?
Justin: It's funny, because in Tokyo I was getting recognized all over the place, and yeah people were shouting "Majide!" at me sometimes. But I'm kinda bummed because back home, no one's really recognized me from the show.
Q: Assuming there will be another season of I Survived a Japanese Game Show, what advice would you give to potential contestants?
Justin: Be careful who you become close to, because you might be responsible for sending them home – or they might be responsible for sending you home! Be ready for anything because there's no way the Japanese will duplicate any of those games. Be prepared and confident, and keep an attitude that you can do anything you put your mind to. And don't be afraid to eat Moshi Balls!
