| Downtown | |
|---|---|
&sq=Envato&lang=en&file=File:Matsumoto_and_Hamada,_Downtown,_Mido-suji_-_Nov_3,_2022.jpg) Matsumoto (left) and Hamada (right) in 2020 | |
| Pseudonym | Hama-chan and Mat-chan (浜ちゃんと松ちゃん) |
| Native name | Dauntaun (ダウンタウン) |
| Years active | 1982–present (formed in Hyogo Prefecture) |
| Employer | Yoshimoto Kogyo |
| Genres | Manzai, conte |
| Members | |
Same year/generation as: Tommys High Heele | |
Downtown (ダウンタウン, Dauntaun) is a Japanese comedy duo from Amagasaki, Hyōgo consisting of Hitoshi Matsumoto and Masatoshi Hamada. Formed in 1982, they are one of the most influential and prolific comedy duos in Japan today.[1] They are best known for their stand-up acts, hosting numerous Japanese variety shows (such as Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!, Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ and Wednesday's Downtown) and their sarcastic, short-tempered stage personas.
As a result of their massive popularity and the relative domination of their employer, Yoshimoto Kogyo, the Kansai dialect (in which both performers usually speak) has come to be associated with Japanese comedy (owarai) as a whole.[2] In 2011, teachers at the NSC comedy school reportedly noted that 70 percent of students name Matsumoto and Hamada as being among their key inspirations.[3]
- ^ Japan Zone article Retrieved on 2008-2-21. "The biggest name in comedy duos has to be Downtown."
- ^ Japan Zone's profile on Yoshimoto Kogyo Retrieved on 2008-2-08. "Thanks to the huge popularity they have enjoyed these Kansai natives have made the region's dialect almost the de-facto language of comedy in Japan."
- ^ Corkill, Edan (November 27, 2011). "Comedy's a funny business in Japan". The Japan Times. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.