WHAT WAS A Japanese celebrity doing in Dowra? Well, he was just passing through, but 36 million people saw him do it.

Toshiyuki Nagashima is an A-list actor in Japan, and made a programme where he travels to surprise Japanese people far flung from home. One of those, happens to live in Drumkeerin, Leitrim.

Nagashima landed in Dublin, before hitting Carrick-on-Shannon, Drumshanbo and Dowra to reach his destination in Leitrim.

The scene was set, featuring lots of diddly-eye music and of course, U2.

But one things for sure, we’re an awful helpful bunch

Dubliners took the time to give directions

Lots of directions

This lad in Carrick-on-Shannon even drew some for him

Good effort

Another guy gave him a free lift to Dowra, legend

While this lad on the train provided important lessons in letting pints set

He even got Tayto! We’ll excuse the flavour

The kindness paid off and he arrived safely to the Taeko Lowe’s home

The family own a homestay in Letrim and are now getting 30,000 hits from Japan in the wake of the show airing last week.

Wowza. Peter Lowe told DailyEdge.ie that emailed the show three years ago after thinking it would be good publicity for his family business, which focuses on the Japanese market.

Most of our guests come for Irish Music tuition, English language and Celtic History Archeology tours. We figured if we get scenery shots of Leitrim on mainstream Television over there it will bring traffic to the Japanese language side. And it worked, big time.

His son Enda can even be seen singing the Fields of Athenry at the dinner table at 34:00.

A more traditional Irish welcome, you couldn’t get.

The whole show can be watched here, if you’re y’know, fluent in Japanese.