Japanese owarai comedy popular with foreign visitors

Company representative Shinya Nakazawa explained why Yoshimoto started the show: "We wanted to introduce Japan's owarai to foreign visitors, as well as share Japanese comedy with audiences overseas." He also noted, "Osaka hosting a world exposition next year presents a great business opportunity." Warai is the Japanese word for laugher. Combined with the honorific, the word describes the kind of comedy routines that are a mainstay on Japanese TV and entertainment venues. The show has also helped Japanese comedians perform overseas. "We started creating skits for international performances because of this show," said Kuboken, a member of the 5GAP duo. Wes-P added, "The experiences here have helped improve my performances abroad." The show in Shibuya takes place every Friday and Saturday night. Yoshimoto recently shortened its duration from 90 to 60 minutes "to make it easier for visitors to schedule around dinner," Nakazawa said. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are served during the show. Around 70% to 80% of the audience is from overseas, and many of them learned about the show through travel and other websites such as TripAdvisor, Nakazawa said. Western comedy clubs mostly focus on stand-up performances, with few venues presenting different types of comedy on the same stage. In contrast, Japan's yose theatres feature a variety of styles and performers, offering a more diverse entertainment experience. "I'd like to bring yose culture overseas as a key aspect of Japanese owarai," said Kuboken of 5GAP.

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