National Jul 22, 2019
Entertainment giant Yoshimoto Kogyo cancels penalties for scandal-hit comedians
The joke’s on them: After internal pushback, the top execs at influential Yoshimoto Kogyo step in to take the punishment instead of the comedians.
National Jul 21, 2019
Scandal-hit comedians apologize for receiving money for organized crime group event
Hiroyuki Miyasako, a member of popular comedy duo Ameagari Kesshitai, offered an apology at a news conference Saturday for performing at an event hosted by an organized crime group and receiving money from it. "I would like to apologize to everyone," Miyasako, who had his ...
National Jul 13, 2019
Hiroshi Osaki, chairman of major Japanese talent agency Yoshimoto Kogyo Holdings Co., stresses the importance of efforts to eliminate connections between its comedians and purported organized crime groups.
National / Crime & Legal Jul 13, 2019
Thirteen comedians who recently criticized for secretly performing at a party hosted by a purported crime group each received between several tens of thousands of yen and ¥1 million, their agency says.
National | FOCUS Jul 9, 2019
Japanese comedians turn to yakuza-linked 'underground performances' due to unstable income
Despite mounting criticism over recently revealed "underground performances" for organized crime by some comedians, quitting such work appears difficult, as they are important sources of income for the entertainers, many of whom are apparently not earning enough money from activities through their talent agencies, ...
National Jun 25, 2019
Talent agency suspends 11 comedians for accepting money from alleged organized crime group
A major talent agency on Monday suspended 11 of its comedians for conducting "underground business" and attending a party hosted by a purported organized crime group without consulting with the company. Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. said it has determined that the comedians, including Hiroyuki Miyasako, 49, ...
TV Jun 6, 2019
Japan's king of comedy, Yoshimoto Kogyo's Hiroshi Osaki, expands his realm
by Matthew Hernon
It has been 10 years since Hiroshi Osaki took the reins at Yoshimoto Kogyo, and in that time Japan's oldest and arguably most influential entertainment agency has veered down several different paths. While comedy remains at the forefront of the company's activities, as it ...
National Aug 26, 2018
by Seana K. Magee
Representatives from entertainment powerhouse Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., advertising giant Dentsu Inc. and the United Nations recently highlighted their joint efforts to make the Japanese public aware of the international body's social development work around the globe. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, a set of ...
Film / Reviews Nov 22, 2017
'Spark': A fool and a straight man walk into a bar...
by Mark Schilling
Stand-up — one comic in front of a microphone — is the default setting for live comedy in the United States. In Japan the equivalent has long been rakugo, a traditional form in which a single performer tells comic stories. Today, however, aspiring ...
Film Nov 15, 2017
Known for seeking thrills on TV, Daisuke Miyagawa goes for laughs in 'The Stand-In Thief'
by Matthew Hernon
Need someone to chase pigs in Thailand? Daisuke Miyagawa's your man. How about punching watermelons in Australia? Miyagawa's your man. The 45-year-old comedian has been sent on numerous overseas adventures as part of the Nippon TV variety show "Sekai no Hate Made Itte Q" (which ...
National Sep 29, 2017
Yoshimoto Kogyo comedians team up with Fukushima to restore disaster-hit scenic rail line
Fukushima Prefecture has teamed up with major entertainment company Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. as the prefecture reopens a scenic local railway line that had been partially closed due to damage from torrential rain six years ago. Special tours were launched recently that took visitors on the ...
Digital Aug 23, 2014
Yoshimoto Kogyo's role in creating a real-life robot with a sense of humor
by Masami Ito
With big, round, smiling eyes and a shirt and bow tie displayed on the screen on his chest, humanoid robot Pepper is ready to entertain his guests. Music begins to play, and Pepper shows off his moves to the 1960s hit song "The Loco-Motion" ...