Japan's entertainment business is a come and go affair. Hundreds of local and foreign talents have entered the spotlight with a joke or two, only to vanish a year or two later when their gags ran out of chuckle.
One exception is American comedian and entertainer Patrick Harlan, who has survived in the nation's cultural scene for nearly two decades.
Though good looks and stage savvy helped him first find success, Harlan's case shows you need more than that to survive in Japan's fast-moving showbiz industry.