News On Japan

A Three-Day Broadcast Homage to a Comedy Legend

Toshio Sakata's memorial show broadcasted for three successive nights on BS Yoshimoto, featuring top comedy acts.

TOKYO - A three-night consecutive tribute program for Sakata Toshio, who passed away last December. The program will be broadcast on BS Yoshimoto from January 19 (Friday) to January 21 (Sunday).

The first night's program, "Yoshimoto's Chaplin, Sakata Toshio," will feature a history of Sakata's work, including his classic gags that captivated audiences with comedy, his comedic exchanges with Kanpei Hazama, and performances from his time as part of the manzai duo Comedy No.1.

The second night will air the November 23, 2014, performance of Sakata Toshio's 50th-anniversary celebration held at Namba Grand Kagetsu in Osaka, titled "Thank You for Being Silly - Thank You~san!!"

The third night will feature the second part of "Gratitude Messages to Master Sakata Toshio - Thank You~san," which was originally broadcasted on January 5. Nineteen pairs of entertainers who admired Sakata will deliver their messages of thanks. Sakata Toshio, who debuted in 1964, formed the manzai duo Comedy No.1 with the late Goro Maeda in 1967 and won numerous awards. He was known for his signature gags, such as "Thank You~san" and "You're silly, ohoho~," and was affectionately called "Silly Sakata" by TV audiences. His 1972 record "Silly Sakata" was a huge hit. After disbanding Comedy No.1 in 2009, he continued to perform in "Sakata Toshio's Special Skits" on stages such as Namba Grand Kagetsu in Osaka and Yoshimoto Gion Kagetsu in Kyoto.

The tribute program "Three Nights of Special Broadcasts in Memory of Sakata Toshio" on BS Yoshimoto will feature many prominent figures in the comedy world, including Sakata Toshio himself, Kiyoshi Nishikawa, Helen Nishikawa, Midori Wakai, Katsura Kobunshi, Kazuo Shimada, The Bonchi, Akashiya Sanma, All Hanshin Giants, Medaka Ikeno, Hibiki Oki, Tommy's Ken, Yasushi Ishida, Kenichi Nakajo, Think Tank, Maki Maeda, Ai Sakai, Tadashi Nishikawa, and Kanpei Hazama.

Source: Natalie

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A newly formed tropical depression near Taiwan on June 9th is expected to intensify the seasonal rain front lingering over southwestern Japan, raising the risk of warning-level rainfall across Okinawa and the Amami Islands through around June 11th.

Japan's national soccer team arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 8th from Monterrey, Mexico, where it had been conducting a pre-World Cup training camp, and held its first practice session at its base camp for the FIFA World Cup in North America.

A prolonged eruption at Sakurajima on June 7th blanketed parts of Kagoshima City in volcanic ash, turning roads gray and prompting long lines of vehicles seeking car washes after a plume of smoke rose 1,300 meters above the crater.

A powerful earthquake struck off Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines at 8:38 a.m. (Japan time) on June 8th, generating tsunami waves across parts of the Pacific, causing building collapses and casualties near the epicenter, and prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue tsunami advisories along a wide stretch of Japan's Pacific coastline before lifting all of them at 4:50 p.m.

A clinic director and a former Peruvian staff member have been referred to prosecutors after the man allegedly performed medical procedures without a license, including an external cephalic version—a procedure used to manually turn a baby into the correct position before birth—at an obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Fukuoka City, raising concerns about patient safety and oversight in maternity care.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Entertainment NEWS

A new multifunctional hall inside the West Japan City Building, the new headquarters of Nishi-Nippon City Bank, officially opened on June 8th, with renowned kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjuro performing a celebratory dance during the opening ceremony.

The global online dating market is absolutely booming, and meeting your significant other online has become the new normal for millions of singles worldwide.

In this NHK documentary, the history of video games is told as the story of a new kind of empire: the rise of software.

Today, we take a look at the kabuki performance at the Hakata-za theatre in Fukuoka, which conclude the shūmei ceremony of the actor Onoe Kikugorō VIII and his son, Onoe Kikunosuke VI.

Beneath Tokyo Skytree, in a research laboratory owned by preeminent martial arts enthusiast Mitsunari Tokugawa, a forbidden experiment is underway. Using cutting-edge science and technology, the experiment aims to create a clone from the corpse of legendary swordsman Musashi Miyamoto and resurrect him in the present day.

Netflix has unveiled a diverse lineup of anime for June 2026, ranging from action-packed martial arts battles and supernatural adventures to offbeat sci-fi comedies and traditional Japanese storytelling.

Former XG producer SIMON, whose real name is Junho Sakai, received a suspended prison sentence on June 1st after being convicted of using cocaine.

This week, the explore Kawatake Mokuami's 1881 sewamono drama Kiwametsuki Banzui Chōbē ("The Renowned Banzui Chōbē"), revised in 1891 by his student, Kawatake Shinshichi III. (Kabuki In-Depth)