The Asia-Pacific Journal | Japan Focus

Volume 18 | Issue 16 | Number 3 | Article ID 5452 | Aug 15, 2020

Comedians Who Dare: Political Satire in Contemporary Japan
Shawn De Haven
remained the same, however, was the presenceof “Donald Trump” (as portrayed by Alec
Baldwin). Responding to Barack Obama’s
positively received online graduation address,
SNL’s version of Trump talks to high school
graduates as their eighth choice for a speaker.
He begins by muting all the African-American
graduates who disagree with him, touting
exciting new job opportunities like “grocery
store bouncer, camgirl, porch pirate, amateur
nurse, and coal,” and dispensing advice like“surround yourself with the worst people you
can find, that way you’ll always shine” and“never wear sunscreen.” He even takes a swig
of Clorox when he starts coughing (a reference
to his controversial suggestion of ways to treat
the virus).1

Abstract: Unlike the United States andelsewhere, political comedy is rarely
spotlighted in Japan. Through interviews withthree comedians, Hamada Taichi, Yamamoto
Tenshin (The Newspaper) and Muramoto
Daisuke (Woman Rush Hour), this article seeks
to understand the practice, reception andstanding of political humor in Japan today.
What has motivated these comedians to pursue
controversial routines that may have hindered
their careers? How do they account for the
relative lack of political satire in Japan today?
The interviews provide a complex picture of
media self-censorship and indirect pressure
from the government – a picture that is bothpessimistic and hopeful for the future ofpolitical satire in Japan. Interviews are edited
for clarity.

Of course, such political satire is not limited to
the United States. Down under in Australia,
comedians on YouTube regularly satirize theconservative administration in the form of“honest government ads.”2 In England, alongwith comedians who regularly address politics
in their routines, television shows such as The
Mash Report 3 (similar in style to The Daily
Show in the US) satirize politicians even while
being broadcast on the government-run BBC.
Similarly, Germans can tune in to Heute Show4
to see the government and other figures get
their humorous comeuppance. In France,
citizens until recently5 could tune in to see theirleadership parodied in the form of grotesquepuppets on the show Les Guignols de l’Info.6

Keywords: Political satire, performance
comedy, censorship, media, political pressure

Introduction
The 2020 season finale for the popular
American comedy show Saturday Night Live
opened in a decidedly different manner thanpast episodes. For one, the opening skit was aparody of high school graduations held via theonline video conferencing application Zoom.
The Covid-19 pandemic, along with lockdowns,
social distancing, masks and more, had evenaltered the way comedy programs produce
content. Because of the crisis, SNL was forced
to film their final three episodes remotely at
different performers’ homes, instead of theirusual live studio in New York. One thing that

Unlike their Western counterparts, Japanesepoliticians are rarely satirized on stage,
television or radio, despite ample evidence ofcorruption, scandal, incompetence, and lagging
popularity due to the ongoing pandemic.7 Even1

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APJ | JFsocial media lacks sites specializing in tellingjokes to power. Through interviews with threeof the small number of Japanese comedians
who focus on political and social issues, I seek
to understand why political comedy is rarely
attempted and even more rarely televised.
Here, I talk with Hamada Taichi and Yamamoto
Tenshin of the political skit group The
Newspaper, and more briefly, conduct aninterview with Muramoto Daisuke of themanzai duo Woman Rush Hour. What do they
think of the lack of topical comedy, and why dothey choose to focus on the hot button topics
that few others dare to touch? What emerges is
a complex environment of self-censorship, with
only indirect pressure from the government.
Moreover, while many predict a grim future forpolitical satire, Muramoto hints at possible
changes to this bleak assessment.

1. The Newspaper
Yamamoto Tenshin and Hamada Taichi
after a performance in Tokyo (October
2019)

When I began to research manzai andexpressed interest in political humor, people,
without fail, referred me to the skit group The
Newspaper (Za nyūsupēpā). The repeatedrecommendations are both a testament to thegroup’s longevity in the world of politicalsatire, and evidence of the limited number of
comedians in the genre. I eventually madecontact with two veteran members of the nineperson troupe, Yamamoto Tenshin and Hamada
Taichi, when they were performing in Tokyo.
The following section is from an interview thattook place in August 2016.8

The Newspaper was formed in 1989, just after
the death of the Showa Emperor had cast thenation into a period of mourning and selfrestraint.9 At the time, entertainment events
involving comedians, musicians, and otherperformers were cancelled, leaving many
entertainers without work. Yamada andYamamoto, along with those who would later
become members of The Newspaper, foundthemselves with time on their hands. With thesimple goal of snapping people out of theirgrief by making them laugh, the group decided
to use the news as a source for material, butthey did not initially limit themselves topolitics. 10 Eventually the group settled on
making fun of politics and certain politicians
who continuously came up in the news.11 The
interview with Yamamoto and Hamada lasted
for ninety minutes, touching on many issues.
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For clarity, I have broken the interview into thedifferent topics addressed.

a bother. Our style of work is very inefficient.
As Hamada said, usually comedians (in Japan)
work on their material by doing the same thingover and over again, looking for what getslaughs, sometimes taking years to get an eightminute routine just right. In our case, by thetime we do something several times, theaudience has forgotten that news story. So, nomatter how high the quality of the material…

The Problem with Topical Material
Why, I asked, did so few comedians “dopolitics” in Japan, essentially leaving them withno rivals. Here is what Yamamoto and Hamada
had to say.

De Haven: You cannot do it anymore, likesomeone who does a great Reagan
impersonation.

Yamamoto: I thought we were lucky to come up
with the idea of using the newspaper as asource for our themes. When we would run out
of ideas about what to cover, we could just go
to the newspaper to find a theme and startfrom there. It changes every day, with news
about politicians, economics, sports,
entertainment, etc.

Yamamoto: Yes, exactly. So this is a reallyinefficient and tiring job. Also, even if you aregood at doing an impersonation of a certain
politician, you have to keep up with the news,
studying today, tomorrow, next week andbeyond, understanding how the Liberal
Democratic Party (LDP) is, knowing their
history and so on. Because you have to keep up
with and understand the news, reading thenewspaper and so forth, other comedians do
not want to do it.

De Haven: A treasure chest of themes?
Yamamoto: Yes. That’s why I thought we were
lucky to think of it. With that source, we canjust use whatever is in the news at the time.
And six months later, the news is completely
different. So, we have to make new material.
We thought, “Using the newspaper as oursource for topics is limitless. This is great!”
De Haven: While many American stand-up
comedians won’t do the same material once
they have done it on television, many Japanese
comedians in places like Asakusa seem to use
the same material often. That has its good andbad points.
Hamada: Actually, at our live shows, we
continually work on new material, and ofcourse, in the news, certain politicians always
come up. Doing those politicians who come up
in the news all the time has become a
trademark of The Newspaper. Nobody else
does that. We have no rivals.
De Haven: Why do you think that is?
Yamamoto: In the end, I think it is because it is3

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comedy or skits on TV that often.
De Haven: That seems a shame.
Hamada: But in Japan at least, that is the way it
is with television.
Yamamoto: We went to one highly rated
television show once and asked, “Please let uscome on the show.” We made a DVD for themwith political skits, easy to understand ones,
and they said, “No way.” We did that two or
three times, but they turned us down each time
and we were not able to appear (on the show).
Hamada: If we did a normal skit that is not
biting, but kind of soft with a news story that
doesn’t focus on one specific politician, it would
probably be okay, but we prefer to dosomething sharp with politicians in it.
Yamamoto: Of course, if there was a producer
or director like you on a TV program, I’m sure
we’d be able to get on TV. Because there isn’t
anyone like that, it is very hard to get on air.

A flyer from a 2019 performance of The
Newspaper.12

De Haven: There is the concern of sponsors as
well.
Hamada: Yes, everyone is scared.

The Media Reception of The Newspaper
and Political Material in General

Unlikely Fans and the Stance of The
Newspaper

Throughout the interview, the question of thelack of political humor on television and thepossible reasons behind it recurred. Yamamoto
was blunt in his assessment.

After addressing what Yamamoto and Hamada
believe are some of the reasons why The
Newspaper and other political comedians are
not seen on television, they revealed that they
have some unlikely fans.

Yamamoto: To be honest, the media doesn’t likethe kind of comedy we do. That’s why we can’t
get on television. It is difficult for television
directors to praise us because we deal with
politics. They want middle-of-the-road comedy.
Because there are right and left in politics, they
are afraid of dividing Japan (or the audience)and that is why they do not use “dangerous”
comedians. That is why you do not see satirical

Yamamoto: Actually, it is not on television, but
we are often called on to perform at events foreveryone from the Communist Party to the
Liberal Democratic Party.
De Haven: When you go, for example, to theCommunist Party’s event, do you make fun of4

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Hamada: So there is no direct pressure (frompoliticians), just the opposite. They aresupporting us.

them in your comedy?
Hamada: Oh, yes, yes.
De Haven: Do they laugh at themselves?

De Haven: That is very interesting. That goesagainst all the assumptions I had made coming
into this interview.

Yamamoto: Yes, they do. That’s our stance. We
make fun of left and right.
De Haven: Making fun of everyone equally?

The Role of The Newspaper’s Comedy Plays
in Society

Yamamoto: Yes. In our group, some of the nine
members lean to the left, some lean to theright. That is the nature of our group. The
Newspaper’s stance is that we do not lean left
and we do not lean right. Our number one
priority is to express the viewpoint of thecommon citizen. This is why we get called on to
perform at LDP parties.

As the interview continued, I tried to better
understand the group’s motivations and how
these two members saw their comedy’s role insociety.
De Haven: Although I do enjoy manzai andskits, I still have the feeling that the comediansmight be missing out (on more politicallythemed comedy). What role do you think
comedy plays in society? What is its function?

De Haven: So you have not felt any pressure
from the government or politicians, directly orotherwise.

Yamamoto: Well, it (comedy) has to be a gasu
nuki (a release of gas).

Hamada: Actually, politicians feel that they
have not really made it if we do notimpersonate them.

De Haven: What do you mean?

De Haven: I see, as proof that they havebecome big politicians.

Yamamoto: Gasu nuki means a release ofstress. For example, just looking at a Japanesepolitician, people may think, “That’s
strange/not right!” “That’s not true! “That’s notconstitutional!” Or “That’s not what protecting
the constitution means!” Comedians hit on thatoutrage (with their material) and people go,“Ah! I knew it!”

Yamamoto: Yes, as to whether they had becomebig (and whether they had quit), those areamong a select famous few.
Hamada: One Diet member said that, “Onceyou have been impersonated by The
Newspaper, you have made it.”De Haven: They can identify with that or feelthat their point of view is being heard.

Yamamoto: Ha ha, a Diet member really said
that!
Hamada: So conversely, there is no pressure onus (from them).

Yamamoto: Yes, they can feel that connection
and the laughter from that connection relieves
stress. That is what we mean when we callcomedy a gasu nuki.

Yamamoto: In that way (through becoming a
comedic target), their name gets out there andthey become well known.

De Haven: People can be brought to realize
things as well through this comedy. “I knewthat (something that they pointed out) was5

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strange!”politicians about the issue. Sometimes thisresulted in laws being passed.

Yamamoto: And when such laughter isreleased, it relieves stress and the performers
have fun as well. It is kind of a feeling of “I was
waiting for that!” That and the overall effect iswhat makes performing live so enjoyable.

Yamamoto: This is not about whether
politicians cause change in Japan, but a while
ago, The Newspaper had this signature gag inwhich the top US and Japanese officials met,
and the Americans were always puttingpressure on Japan. I think this joke really shows
the Japanese soul. The Americans were always
demanding a clear “yes or no” answer, but at
the most important moment, when the Japanese
have to answer, “Yes or no,” they say, “Or!” I
think that skit kind of sums up the Japanesesoul.

De Haven: Okay, but taking it a step further, do
you think that comedy like this has the power
to move and change society?
Yamamoto: Maybe it does. After all, politicians,
big ones including Diet members, do often
secretly come to the shows. Maybe some ofthem see our comedy, write some things down,take it home and do something with it. I thinkthey probably use it when they speak. There
are probably some politicians like that.

De Haven: That certainly is an interesting
aspect of Japanese culture, but from aforeigner’s perspective, it is frustrating to not
be clear about something. That is why somewould say that the Japanese can’t be trusted.

De Haven: That is not exactly what I mean. It isinteresting to hear that some politicians may becopying you, but what I am referring to ischanging the direction of the way things aregoing.

Yamamoto: Because of this, politicians would
say, “The Newspaper said this!” and it wasoften used as an example showing the Japanesenational character. So, I guess politicians pay
close attention to what we do. I do not know if
we could move Japan in one direction or
another, but we are able to point out what
seems strange from the viewpoint of theaverage Japanese person and get a lot of laughs
from it. Look at the Abe administration…in
2015, the LDP had this study, which stretched
the interpretation of the constitution, so thatthe right of collective self-defense was deemed
constitutional. Anyone could see that it was asham. You bring it up in the comedy routine
and declare, “That’s strange!” and thensomeone in the audience lets out, “I knew it!
You thought so too!” In moments like those, I
think, “I’m so glad I’m doing this!” To educate,
to bring feelings like this to the attention ofpoliticians feels great and makes me feel thatperhaps we have moved the needle a little.

Hamada: Well, there have been cases of
comedians becoming politicians, being elected
and moving Japan in that way.
De Haven: Like Higashikokubara?13
Hamada: Yes, exactly. Further back, Yokoyama
Knock14 and other such people from the comedy
world came out, got elected, and shaped
society in that way. In the end, the way to move
Japanese society is to become a politician.
Currently, it is impossible for a comedian tochange society. We can make people laugh, butthat is it. To really change the world, you haveto have a certain status. You cannot do thatunless you become a politician.15
De Haven: In the case of the United States, thehost (at the time) of The Daily Show, Jon
Stewart, would make news stories into comedic
material, bring issues to people's attention.
Those people would then contact their local

De Haven: I would love for you to do suchmaterial on television.
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Hamada: Impossible. Impossible. Impossible.
That’s just not possible.
De Haven: Still, I would like to see material liketonight’s show.16 After all, the 300 people you
performed in front of tonight seemed to enjoy
it. It is nice that you were able to perform infront of so many people, but why can’t suchshows be broadcast on television?
Hamada: Yes. If there was someone at the
television network brave enough to do that, butthere’s really no one like that there.
Manzai duo Woman Rush Hour
(Muramoto on the left; Nakagawa
Paradise on the right)17

De Haven: How about NHK (the statesponsored channel)? Ha ha!
Hamada: Yes! I mean, there is the BBC right?
And they have programs using puppets aspoliticians!

2. Woman Rush HourIn December 2017, the comedic duo Woman
Rush Hour took the stage on the popularannual television program, THE MANZAI, anddelivered a five-minute routine that, to thesurprise of everyone watching, touched on awide range of sensitive political and social
issues. The routine’s content and thesubsequent widespread reaction in the mass
media and on SNS led me to interview
Muramoto Daisuke, who writes the duo’s
routines. The specific routine and Muramoto’s
further efforts to widen the boundaries of whatis acceptable in manzai has added significantly
to the debate surrounding political satire in
Japan.18

De Haven: Ah, yes. You mean Spitting Image.
In the past, they made some really ugly puppets
depicting Reagan and Thatcher.
Hamada: I thought it was amazing that they
were allowed to do that and on the (statesponsored) BBC at that!

The Future
De Haven: So, as The Newspaper, what is yourgoal? What does the future hold?
Yamamoto: Well, as I said earlier, we are nottrying to change Japan through The
Newspaper’s comedy. Right now, we take thecontradictions of politicians, the “isn’t thisstrange” parts and hugely deform them,changing these moments into comedy. Of
course, the more people that come out toshows, the more we enjoy our work and wewould like to increase these chances as muchas we can.

Despite not graduating from high school,
Muramoto carved out a successful career as amanzai performer. After going through a seriesof different partners, Muramoto formed themanzai duo Woman Rush Hour with Nakagawa
Paradise in 2008. The duo went on to win
several awards including THE MANZAI 2013,
the most prestigious televised contest between
manzai duos in the country.19
Before reviewing Muramoto’s statements on
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political comedy in Japan, let us summarize thecomedy routine that has won him bothaccolades and scorn from the media, othercomedians, and the public on SNS. In theroutine, one member of the duo plays a person
who wants to live in a certain area (Fukushima,
Tokyo, Okinawa, etc.). This person (played by
Nakagawa Paradise) is questioned by aresident of that area (played by Muramoto),and has to prove his love for the area so that heis deemed worthy of being allowed to live
there. While interviewing the prospective
resident, Muramoto covers a range of problems
that the area is dealing with. The following, forexample, is part of the routine where
Nakagawa is trying to move to Okinawa.

Muramoto: Troublesome things are?
Nakagawa: Something we pretend not tosee.
Muramoto: And how much are we paying
the US military to stay here?
Nakagawa: 9,465 million yen.
Muramoto: And what is that budget called?
Nakagawa: The sympathy budget.
Muramoto: Before we show sympathy toAmerica, we should…
Nakagawa: Show sympathy to Okinawa!

Muramoto: What problems is Okinawa
dealing with right now?

Muramoto: Welcome to Okinawa! You may
live here!

Nakagawa: The relocation of the US baseto Futenma problem.

Finally, after covering a wide range of topics athigh speed, Muramoto shifts focus to Japan ingeneral. Like the other places covered in theroutine, Nakagawa starts out by asking for
approval to live in Japan, and Muramoto,playing the part of a Japanese person who will
test Nakagawa's devotion, questions him.

Muramoto: What else?
Nakagawa: The Takae heliport problem.
Muramoto: Those are problems for just
Okinawa to deal with, right?

Muramoto: What problems is Japan
dealing with now?

Nakagawa: No, those are problems that allof Japan has to deal with.

Nakagawa: The revitalization of disasterareas (after the Great Fukushima
earthquake, tsunami and nuclear
meltdown).

Muramoto: And the Olympics that will beheld in Tokyo?
Nakagawa: Something that all of Japan willcelebrate.

Muramoto: What else?

Muramoto: And the Okinawa military baseproblem?

Nakagawa: The nuclear power plants
problem.

Nakagawa: Something foisted off on
Okinawa only.

Muramoto: What else?

Muramoto: And fun things are?

Nakagawa: The Okinawa military baseproblem.

Nakagawa: Something for all of Japan.

Muramoto: What else?

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Nakagawa: The North Korea missile
problem.

(Audience laughs)
Muramoto: (speaking into the microphone
and pointing at the audience) I’m talking
about you people!

Muramoto: But what’s actually covered by
the news?
Nakagawa: Politicians’ verbal gaffes.
Muramoto: What else?
Nakagawa: Politicians’ affairs.
Muramoto: What else?
Nakagawa: Celebrities’ affairs.
Muramoto: Are those really important
news stories?
Nakagawa: No, they’re just superficial
problems.
Muramoto: So why do they become news?

Muramoto directs his criticism at theaudience, “I’m talking about you
people!”20

Nakagawa: Because they get good ratings.
Muramoto: And why do they get do
ratings?
Nakagawa: Because there are people whowant to watch them.

Sitting Down with Muramoto Daisuke,
Another Voice in Political Satire

Muramoto: So what we really should be
worried about is?

By performing a routine that touched on many
serious issues rarely addressed in comedy on anationally televised program, Muramoto
Daisuke emerged as a new voice of politicalhumor. I was able to sit down with Muramotoin March 2018 to talk about his motivations andthe state of political satire in Japan, along witha range of issues. Although the interview wasbrief, this discussion, along with otherinterviews that Muramoto has conducted withthe media, statements from his solo shows, andhis comments on social media conveys theimpression of a comedian taking his material
into controversial waters by Japanesestandards.

Nakagawa: More than the disaster area
recovery problem –Muramoto: More than the nuclear power
plant problem –Nakagawa: More than the Okinawa
military base problem –Muramoto: More than the North Korea
problem –Nakagawa: Is the low level of awarenessshown by the citizens!

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Muramoto: It is completely different in the US.
Producers protect their comedians (frompressure from sponsors, the public, etc.) andtelevision is set up differently. There are
NETFLIX and cable television, with comedians
getting specials and being able to say whatever
they want.
De Haven: So, what are your goals with thisbrand of comedy? What would you like toaccomplish?
Muramoto: I want someone deep in themountains, in some far-off place in China, to beafraid of discriminating against someone
because they might be made fun of by
Muramoto. If someone says something(discriminatory) like that, anywhere in theworld, I want him or her to be scared that they
will become the butt of my joke. I want people
from around the world to take notice. I wantpeople who might use violence or might
discriminate to be scared that they will become
the target of Muramoto’s humor. Also, I want tojoke about things that no one ever jokes aboutor think they cannot possibly make humorous. I
want to make jokes that are so funny thatpeople laugh so much that they forget theiranger. It does not matter if it is the Emperor,
the Queen, or the Pope. I want to poke fun atthem, making them laugh so much that they
are no longer angry or irritated.

Muramoto Daisuke speaking with theauthor (photo provided by author)

The interview began with an inquiry into the
future of his political comedy.
De Haven: Will you continue to do political
comedy like what we saw on THE MANZAI?
Muramoto: Actually, I probably will not. At arecent show I did, I received a threat – one guy
told me to “go to hell,” and this made me think
about my safety and the safety of those working
the shows with me. There have been cases ofpoliticians and others in the past being stabbed
by people on the right and that worries me abit. I also might receive pressure fromsponsors, so I will probably not use suchmaterial in the future.

De Haven: And after the laughter what would
you like to happen?
Muramoto: The laughter is enough.

One person at my show who paid to see mewalked up to me afterwards and demanded toknow why I didn’t apologize immediately on TV
for saying that Okinawa was once part ofChina.21 I tried to explain to him that that was
not how TV worked. This kind of response
made me afraid for my staff.

De Haven: Do you want to change peoples’
minds?
Muramoto: Not at all.
De Haven: Not at all?

Muramoto then went into the differences in
how political humor is handled in the US andJapan.

Muramoto: No, not at all. I do not want tochange anyone’s mind. What is important to meis that my humor not be placed in a “special10

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class.”22

also because when I saw the routine, it seemed
to be a flashback to the beginning of The
th
Newspaper. We are now celebrating our 30
anniversary as a unit, but what I saw (withWoman Rush Hour) looked a lot like what we
did in the beginning, in the way he went about
it and how he served as a voice for the commonman. I really felt it deeply. There were not thatmany places to laugh in the routine, but hereally made something great and to be able tobroadcast it on television, I was just like,“Wow.” In the beginning, The Newspaper wasvery anti-establishment, critical of thegovernment and such, but as time went on, we
became less so as a group. Hamada and I were
two of the founding members and performed
with them for about 20 years or so, but we tooka break from them for a while and thenreturned. And when we came back, the makeup and stance of the group had changed. Whilein the past, most of the members leaned left, intune with the times, the group shifted withmembers on the left and right. I think that has
led The Newspaper to have a balanced show.

De Haven: Special class?
Muramoto: Yes, special class. In Japan, there
are special classes, for example, someone witha disability is meaninglessly sent to a separate
school. With my comedy, there is no specialclass. It does not matter if you are rich, or theEmperor, or the Queen, or even a blind person,
I want to target everyone with my humor and if
I can do that, I will be happy.
De Haven: And you would like to do this in
English as well? Why is that?23
Muramoto: Yes, I want to do this in English.
The reason why is if I speak Japanese, there is
only Japan. If I can speak English, more people
speak that language, so I can make more
people laugh. That is why I want to do comedy
in English (as well).

Coming Back to The Newspaper: Reaction
to Woman Rush Hour’s Political Material

De Haven: But in the beginning, you were notso balanced?

Finally, in an effort to clarify some of theirpositions and get their reaction to the sudden
emergence of Muramoto Daisuke and his
politically charged routine, I reconnected with
The Newspaper’s Yamamoto Tenshin and
Hamada Taichi, a few months after Woman
Rush Hour’s appearance on television.

Yamamoto: We were not. So, when I saw
Woman Rush Hour recently, I thought, “That’s
it! That’s our origin!” It was a bit shocking, so I
watched it five or six more times.
De Haven: And he (Muramoto) covered somuch that is not usually talked about in such ashort time as well. I have never seen a manzai
routine covered in the news like that.

De Haven: I’d like to talk with you about
Woman Rush Hour’s routine on television
recently. It really became big news. Did you
watch it when it was broadcast or afterwards?

Yamada: Actually, The Newspaper used to do
routines like that. To put it simply, those arecalled local routines. Those are jokes that locals
or people from that area would laugh at, notthe whole world, but pinpoint areas like
Okinawa. When we went to different areas, wewould do localized material as well. Actually, I
think it is amazing that such local material
could be broadcast on television. In the past,
because of restrictions, that would not be

Yamamoto: I recorded it and watched it later,
and when I did, it really struck a chord withme. I thought it was amazing.
De Haven: Because it touched on topics thatwere not addressed before?
Yamamoto: Yes, of course, because of that, but
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broadcast.

now, his ratings are high enough that he can do(almost) anything and get away with it. I mean,
after all, even with the recent Ministry of
Finance scandal, his ratings have not fallen. If
those ratings fall, Muramoto’s cry of, “It’s you!”would actually lead somewhere. However,public opinion isn’t there. For Hamada and me,that routine was right down our alley. “Wellsaid! You are amazing!” That is not where
public opinion is.

De Haven: Because it is too localized?
Hamada: Because it is too dangerous. With thenuclear issue and such, and the criticism of thelocals (audience) and others, but actually, thistime, Muramoto was able to make those people
laugh. And with that laughter, he was able tosay, “Boy, you people are stupid!” and that got
an even bigger laugh. It was a pattern where
they were criticized and then they laughed atthemselves.

De Haven: Well, there were many who praised
the routine, people who were moved deeply by
it, but not everyone liked it.

De Haven: I am not sure what local people
thought, but the public laughed, and then, hepointed to the audience and said, “The biggest
problem is the low level of awareness shown by
everyone! I’m talking about you people!”

Hamada: You can never have 100% of thepeople. Never.
Yamamoto: But the interesting thing aboutpublic opinion is that it goes to the right, andthen it goes to the left, right, left, in that order.
After a war starts, public opinion is more
motivated to stop it, but after a while, with thepassage of time, people forget that pain
gradually.

Hamada: Yes, yes. To be told that actually feels
good too, surprisingly.
One more thing was that the audience was
occupying the same space, which is strange tosay, but that is why they all felt, “Yes! That’strue! That is strange!” That is why theylaughed (understanding the absurdity of theirown position). That is why that produced
laughter. If you make a wrong step, though,you could get in big trouble (as a comedian).
People might say, “What are you talking
about!?” or “Don’t say such stupid things!”

De Haven: And those that felt it first-hand growold and die.
Yamamoto: Yes. And right now, that order isflowing to the right. Looking all over the world,
it is shifting to the right. That is why
Muramoto’s routine does not have that extra
power to it. If that kind of routine were done 20
or 30 years ago, it would have had a great
impact. We think it is a pity that it does notseem to match the mood right now.

Why Muramoto’s Political Material Did Not
Resonate More
Yamamoto: You know that routine by
Muramoto really got to us, but do you know
why it did not make more of a wider impact?

De Haven: But if Abe’s approval rating wasaround 30%, it would have had more power?
Yamamoto: It would be huge. I mean, with thescandal in the tax office, the officials finallyadmitting wrongdoing, and the Ministry of
Finance with the Moritomo Gakuen scandal,24that should be enough for an administration
to…

De Haven: Is it because of pressure fromtelevision stations?
Yamamoto: There is probably some of that, but
actually, the reason it did not resonate more isPrime Minister Abe’s approval rating. Right12

18 | 16 | 3

APJ | JFDe Haven: …be finished.

you think that political humor will change inthe long term after Woman Rush Hour’sroutine?

Yamamoto: It should be finished, right? If it
keeps going like this, the approval ratings
should go down and public approval should beat its lowest. And if that happens, there will bea situation where someone has to takeresponsibility. The head of the party is Abe, butthere does not seem to be any such movement,from the mass media or otherwise. And themass media is not doing their part and puttingout this news.

Hamada: After the administration changes, I
think it will change. If the party in powerchanges from the LDP to another party, it may
change.
De Haven: And do you think the way people
think about political humor will change?
Hamada: The material changes with the times.
So, for example, there are currently not a lot ofjokes with bite to them, but it is possible (withchange) that that kind of humor could emerge
more and more.

Earlier you were asking if television stations
put pressure on us or not, but around the time
when we (Hamada and Yamamoto) were going
to quit The Newspaper, the rules for television
news were very strict. Before then, we hadgone on the daytime talk show Tetsuko no heya
once every year or two, but during that period,
we stopped appearing on the show for five
years. We were finally able to get on the show
recently, but the tendency has been to bar
satire from television.

De Haven: If the LDP loses power?
Hamada: Abe has been in office for a long time
now and without changes (in the government),
The Newspaper and our material does notchange. For example, if the Prime Ministerchanges, our members would change.

De Haven: Is that sontaku (a Japanese word
recently used to describe self-censorship or
restraining oneself in an effort to please thosein power)?

De Haven: Would your members change?
Hamada: Yes, because a different member
would impersonate the new Prime Minister.
When the administration changes, so do thepeople in the group who impersonate them.

Yamamoto: Yes, of course. If we do get on
television, it is on cable.
De Haven: Yes, and that is a bit different (fromshows broadcast on terrestrial television).

De Haven: I see. There certainly are not many
chances to impersonate Obama, are there now?
(Hamada played the former President)

Yamamoto: And who is responsible for thisenvironment now? Well, you can partiallyblame the mass media. And, as always, we (The
Newspaper) turn things into laughter.

Hamada: Ha ha, not at all now! If (the politicalworld) changes, so will we. If it does not,neither will we.
De Haven: And if the economy25 is going well inJapan, people are like, “Well, I guess things arefine the way they are”?

The Future of Political Satire in Japan
I asked Yamamoto and Hamada about the
future of political satire in Japan.

Yamamoto: That is exactly it.

De Haven: So, looking at the big picture, do

De Haven: If your wallet isn’t hurting…
13

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APJ | JF

Muramoto is addressing, I think.

Yamamoto: Yes, yes. That is why public opinion
is where it is now. Hamada and I do not have achance.

De Haven: So political humor and the numberof those who do it will not increase?

De Haven: A chance for bigger exposure?

Yamamoto: No, they won’t increase. You can’teat (make a living) while doing it.

Yamamoto: Yes, just as I am always bringing
up. For example, when elections come around,
there are always rankings listing what is
foremost in the voter’s thoughts, and in that
list, the economy always comes out on top. In
the end, the economy always equals yourwallet. Money is the most important, after all,right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to live.
Ultimately, more than the US military bases,
how you are going to make ends meet
tomorrow is more important, right? With theprimary concern on the economy, support for
the Abe administration remains constantbecause things are pretty stable economically.
Abenomics is getting better and better. So, if
you are doing fine, who cares about the nuclear
power plants or the US military presence? “Oh,something dropped? Oh, well.” It has nothing
to do with me. The US military bases are overthere. That is why the best time for The
Newspaper is when things are at their worst.
When the economy is bad, when people are
dissatisfied, that is when The Newspaper canexert our strength the most.

Hamada: The numbers won’t increase. You
won’t be able to eat doing it. It is a tough time(for political satire).

Motivations and Being Careful Not to
Cross that LineAs the interview wrapped up, it touched onwhat Yamamoto thought was “going too far,”and once again, their motivation for doing
satire.
De Haven: So, other than The Newspaper, well,there is the group Owarai Beigunkichi (Laugh:
American Bases) in Okinawa, but they only
perform there, and there’s no one else doing
political satire.
Hamada: Yes, that’s true.
De Haven: In the United States, I would be able
to quickly come up with the names of five or six
political comedians off the top of my headbecause there are so many. But in Japan…

De Haven: So that is why if Woman Rush Hour
did their routine in more troubled times, more
people might say, “Something is wrong here!”?

Hamada: There isn’t anyone.

Yamamoto: Yes. And to go back to Woman Rush
Hour’s routine, when Muramoto says, “I’mtalking about you!” at the end, what he issaying is if people don’t raise their awareness,they won’t be able to understand what he issaying. And that might be a rough way ofsaying so, but right now, people living normal
lives are eating steak and sushi, and thinking
that they are basically happy, right?
Economically, if you work, things will be good
and that’s that. Whether it’s the US bases or
the nuclear power plants, that’s not a concern
for people, and these people are the “You!” that

Yamamoto: That’s why I feel I have to becareful when I’m doing satire. I am, for themost part, a left-leaning person, antigovernment. I really want to defeat power,
defeat the government. So, my approach is tomake people laugh at power.
De Haven: Yes, that kind of humor has beenaround for a thousand years.
Yamamoto: Yes, that is true. But, for example, if
90 to 100 percent of the audience are anti14

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APJ | JF

questions. First, why is there a lack of politicalsatire in Japan today (especially compared to
the United States)? Second, for the few who dochoose to do political satire, what are theirmotivations? Why did they choose a path that
potentially limits their appeal? Finally, whatrole do they think this type of comedy has insociety and how do they see their part in thisworld?

government, I think that would be a bit scary. If
that is the case, I think that goes beyond
comedy and becomes a kind of activist group.
De Haven: Yes, like some sort of politicalmovement.
Yamamoto: If the ideology becomes too strong,I think that’s dangerous. Even I, as a leftleaning person, think that is dangerous, which
is why we have a stance where half the group isfrom the left, half the group is from the right.

Despite their different performance styles andyears of experience in the genre, both
Yamamoto and Hamada of The Newspaper andMuramoto of Woman Rush Hour sharedoverlapping opinions about the dearth of satire
in Japan. Both cited a lack of backbone among
television networks and producers, and while
neither pointed to direct governmentalpressure, it appears that the Abe government
has contributed to an environment of selfcensorship among television producers andcomedians in general. This lack of opportunity
to perform satirical comedy on television would
no doubt dissuade comedians from evenattempting such risky topics. Moreover, theneed to continually update comedy routines inorder to stay current, along with the generalpublic’s apathy towards politics and society
indicate that the deck is stacked against
political comedians.

What we do doesn’t have to do with right orleft. We take the viewpoint of the common man
and make comedy from that. It’s as simple as
that.
The reason we are satirizing is really for the
purpose of stress relief (gasu nuki). When weturn all the unpleasant things that people haveto think about into comedy material, “Thatmanager is an idiot, isn’t he?” “Yeah, he sureis!”, it gives the people a release and thatmoment brings happiness. That moment ofhappiness has nothing to do with left or right,
and if you can reach that level where everyone
regardless of politics can laugh, it is truly agreat thing.
De Haven: So, you don’t want to change
society, right?

Furthermore, this scarcity of televisionappearances may also explain some politicians’“support” for The Newspaper, despite their
being targets of the group’s comedy. Without
many opportunities to go on television, thechances of The Newspaper gaining a wider
audience and perhaps influencing (or at least
giving voice to) public opinion are minimal.
Therefore, in setting a show or a private
performance at a political party event,
politicians can enjoy being made fun of withlittle fear that satire will damage their overall
image. Politicians can be “in” on the joke,
without having to worry too much about being
the “butt” of the joke. During the recent
Sakurai no kai scandal, 26 Fukumoto Hide, a

Yamamoto: No, we are not thinking about thatat all.
Hamada: Actually, it’s like the weak bullying
the strong. We bully those in power with satire.

Conclusion
This paper features three wide-ranging
interviews with two different parties from thesmall pool of comedians in Japan today, bothseeking to satirize politicians and touch on
sensitive topics that others avoid. I went into
these interviews with essentially three main15

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APJ | JF

the world through their routines. Both themembers of The Newspaper and Muramoto (atleast partially) saw their brand of humor as avehicle for release of public frustration or
discomfort regarding a specific topic.
Yamamoto and Hamada further noted that, in
their opinion, only comedians who ran forpolitical office could effect change, and that acomedy show more closely resembling apolitical rally is a scary prospect, one thatcrosses a line between comedy and activism.

member of The Newspaper famous forimpersonating Prime Minister Abe, foundhimself face to face with Abe and his
supporters at the cherry blossom-viewing event
itself. Abe supporters found it amusing andeven Abe seemed to give permission for his
impersonation, but added that it should bedone “moderately.”27
So, if there were so little reward, why would acomedian in Japan choose to focus on politicaland other sensitive issues? Surprisingly
enough, at least in The Newspaper’s case,according to the members interviewed, theinitial motivation to perform satirical, political
comedy arose from a need for a constantsource of material, and not from a desire to
precipitate social change. The Newspaper saw
a market for those who could express popular
frustrations in a comedic form and ran with it,choosing not to be the voice of the liberal orconservative point of view, but that of the
public. Focusing on live stage performances,
The Newspaper has cultivated a loyal fan basethat clearly believes that political satire does
have a place at the table, even if television
producers do not share that point of view.

Nonetheless, there are signs of change. The
Newspaper recently celebrated its 30 t hanniversary. Since his shocking politicalroutine two years ago, Muramoto and his twoman group, Woman Rush Hour, have
performed controversial material twice on theannual, widely watched television program
THE MANZAI, drawing its share of supporters
and detractors. Much like The Newspaper, theOkinawa-based Owarai Beigun Kichi 28 hasentertained audiences annually. The latter’shumor touches on Okinawa’s unique anddifficult position on the American militarybases, particularly the contested Marine baseunder construction at Henoko. In addition, asmall number of younger performers such as
Takamatsu Nana29 and Seyarogai Ojisan30 havebegun to make an impact with political satire or
related material on stage and online.

Muramoto, on the other hand, who sites
rebellious comedians such as Lenny Bruce,
Richard Pryor, and George Carlen as an
influence, and wants to be free to target any
and all groups or classes with his comedy,
including politicians and sensitive societal
issues. He also seems to want to target those
who might discriminate against or others, such
as Okinawans or victims of the Fukushimadisaster. Muramoto seems to enjoy thechallenge of targeting difficult subjects andturning them around so that people can laughand forget their anger.

Moreover, it may well be that the 2020
Covid-19 pandemic will, in spite of its ravages,
have a positive impact on the role of politicalsatire in Japan. In their interviews, thecomedians were somewhat pessimistic about
the future, especially considering the lack ofaccess to television. Yamamoto and Hamada
saw hope only if economic conditions somehow
took such a downturn that Prime Minister Abewould be forced to step down. For them,
popular dissatisfaction could increase theinfluence of political comedy. Their comments
were made in 2019, when Abe was riding high.
Now, with the prime minister’s popularity at an
all-time low over his inept response to the

Finally, when the interview subjects wereasked how they thought their comedy would
affect society, both parties maintained a similar
perspective, not believing that their comedy
could change society or not wishing to change16

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APJ | JF

pandemic and the economy’s downturn,conditions should have significantly improvedfor political satire. Given its dependence on live
performances, however, The Newspaper has
not been able to take full advantage of publicdissatisfaction. All of the group’s stage showshave been cancelled for the foreseeable future.
Beginning in mid-July, however, The
Newspaper began to record and release several
political skits on Amazon Prime for rental
viewing.

pandemic may well be a turning point in thelong history of political satire in Japan.
When looking at the production, motivations
for, and reception of political satire in Japan incomparison to the U.S. and the rest of theWest, it is all too easy to fall into the trap of“why isn’t Japan like that?” when there aredifferences in culture, media environment andhistorical background. At the same time,
however, the interviews show that comediansin Japan are aware of and take cues from theoutside world of political humor. Looking backat the interviews, some comments deserve
more scrutiny, especially when the comedians’
opinions came in conflict with each other.
Indeed, how comedians present themselves andtheir work should not be taken strictly at facevalue and should be balanced out, at least, withreactions from their audiences. Nonetheless,one thing is clear from these interviews:
despite its relatively lower visibility, politicalsatire has a place in Japan, and despite (or evenbecause of) the challenges of the Covid-19
pandemic, the place and future of politicalsatire in Japan is brighter than ever (or at least,
open to more possibilities). Thanks to thepassion of these and other comedians, as wellas the audiences who support them, the futureof this comedic genre is one that warrants
further research and discussion.

Woman Rush Hour has fared somewhat better.
Even before the pandemic, Muramoto notedthat comedians who touch on politics andsociety in Japan needed to change their way ofdelivering creative content. Specifically, heurged a move towards the kinds of streaming
platforms available in the United States. During
the pandemic, Muramoto has shown himself tobe adept at these newer forms of mass media.
He appears regularly, for example, on
AbemaTV, a 24-hour internet television station.
In addition, he has moved his near-weekly solo
performances, which originally took place allover the country, to the online meeting
application Zoom. For a small fee, viewers cansee Muramoto perform live from the comfort oftheir living rooms. Whether these small pocketsof change will give way to a more mainstream
movement remains to be seen, but the Covid-19

Shawn De Haven is an instructor of Japanese culture, English, and humanities at
International University of Health and Welfare in Narita, Japan. He received his M.A. in
Comparative Cultures from International Christian University. His thesis addressed gender inthe world of manzai. He received a B.A. in Japanese Language and Culture from California
State University at Monterey Bay. His research interests include political satire, minority
voices in comedy, utilizing comedy in language education, and communities of practice. When
not trying his hand at rakugo or manzai, he is interviewing comedians in the field andpublishing his findings on his website itsfunnyinjapanese.com.

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Notes
1

To view the (May. 10th, 2020) Saturday Night Live skit see here.
“Thejuicemedia - YouTube.” Accessed May 5, 2020.
3
BBC. “BBC Two - The Mash Report.” Accessed May 5, 2020.
4“This is what Brexit REALLY means! German political comedy "heute show" (English
subtitles).” Accessed June 20, 2020.
5
After nearly thirty years on the air, Les Guignols de l’Info was cancelled in 2018 by the
Canal+ network. For more on this see here.
6
Although the television show was cancelled in 2018, the show continues to have a presence
on YouTube. See here.
7
With the poor handling of Covid-19, Prime Minister Abe has seen his popularity drop to 27%
in a recent (5/23/2020) poll. See here.
8
For an unabridged version of this interview, go to my website here.
9
For more on this period see Norma Field, In the Realm of a Dying Emperor, Pantheon Books,
1991.
10
Although topical humor involving the news in the West is quite common, many comedians inJapan tend to focus on more general themes.
11
For more information on the group, see their official website.
12“Shakai fuushi konto shuudan THE NEWSPAPER 2019, Ibaraki bunka shinkō zaidan,”Accessed April 14, 2020.
13
Before successfully running for governor of Miyazaki prefecture, Higashikokubara Hideo
had a career as television personality and comedian from 1982 to 2006, serving as
comedian/film director Beat Takeshi’s first apprentice. He went under the name Sonomanma
Higashi.
14
Yokoyama Knock was a prominent comedian and television personality who successfully ran
for political office, serving as a Diet member and later, as the governor of Osaka Prefecture.
15
Recently another comedian, Oshidori Mako, also known for her freelance journalism andactivism over the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, ran for political office in 2019 as a memberof the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan but lost.
16
Before interviewing the members of The Newspaper, the author saw a performance by the
duo at Asakusa Engei Hall.
17
Fuji Terebi. “THE MANZAI 2019.” Accessed April 14, 2020.
18
For general recap of the media’s and public reactions, to Muramoto’s comedy routine, as
well as a link to the performance, see my website. Other reactions to the political routine canbe found here, here, and here.
19"Uumanrasshuawaa purofiiru, Yoshimoto kōgyō kabushikigaisha.” Accessed November 12,
2019.
20
Screenshot from the video of Woman Rush Hour’s appearance on THE MANZAI 2017. To
see the full performance, see here.
21
On his January 1, 2018 appearance on the late-night political debate program Asa Made
Nama Terebi 2018 Gantan Special, Muramoto caused some controversy when he mistakenly
stated that Okinawa was once part of China. The comment drew some backlash frompersonalities on the right, as well as from people from Okinawa.
2

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APJ | JF
22

Muramoto here uses the term 特別学級 (tokubetsugakkyu) which can be translated as a
special class or special needs class. He also uses it in an unusual way when referring to whom
he targets with his humor. This usage could be interpreted as special treatment (when it
comes to who are targets of his humor).
23
At the time of this interview, Muramoto had just returned from a trip to the United States,
where he studied English with the hopes of performing abroad.
24
For details on the scandal, see here.
25
Because this interview took place well before the Covid-19 pandemic, this section on thestability of the Japanese economy may feel out of place, but I feel it sheds further light on how
The Newspaper links political comedy’s popularity to dissatisfaction with the economy.
26
The Sakura no kai is an annual event that invites people from the public and private sectors
to appreciate the cherry blossoms, and converse with the Prime Minister and othergovernment officials. Recently, it has come under scrutiny from opposition parties as a wasteof public funds and a way for Abe to reward his supporters. For more details, see here.
27
ORICON NEWS. “‘安倍首相ものまね’福本ヒデ、政治ネタ制限の時代に嘆く 本人からも「ほどほどに….” Accessed February 6, 2020.
28
For more information on Owarai Beigun Kichi (in Japanese only), see: here or here. Jon
Mitchell also mentions the group in his article published in this journal.
29
Originally a solo comedian (pin geinin), Takamatsu Nana has recently shifted her efforts to
producing political satire and workshops with a focus on educating young people about
politics and solving societal problems through humor. More information can be found at her
company’s website.
30
Seyarogai Ojisan is a comedian based in Okinawa who has recently found a following on
YouTube with videos that humorously point out problems with governmental policies, societal
issues, and more. Some of his more popular videos have garnered over 600,000 views. His
rants are also featured on a national morning show every Friday. His videos can be foundhere.

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