Sanma Akashiya

Sanma Akashiya
Birth nameTakafumi Sugimoto (杉本 髙文)
Native name明石家 さんま
Born (1955-07-01) July 1, 1955 (age 69)
Koza, Wakayama, Japan
HometownNara, Nara Prefecture
MediumTelevision
Years active1974–present
EmployerYoshimoto Kogyo
GenresOwarai
Spouse
(m. 1988; div. 1992)
ChildrenImalu [ja]

Sanma Akashiya (明石家 さんま, Akashiya Sanma, born July 1, 1955) is a Japanese comedian,[1] TV presenter, radio personality and actor most commonly known as Sanma-san. His real name is Takafumi Sugimoto (杉本 髙文, Sugimoto Takafumi).[2] His talent agency is Yoshimoto Kogyo and his shishô (master) back when he studied rakugo is Shōfukutei Matsunosuke.

Together with Beat Takeshi and Tamori, Sanma is said to be one of the "Big Three [ja]" television comedians of Japan.[3] He is known for his ability to endlessly carry a conversation. His protruding front teeth are often ridiculed, even by himself.

Akashiya married actress Shinobu Otake in September 1988.[4] They met on the set of the drama series Danjo Shichinin Natsumonogatari. At the time, Otake had one son from her previous marriage with her husband who had died. The marriage lasted 4 years as they divorced in September 1992. The two remained friends after and are sometimes seen on variety television programs together. They have one daughter, Imalu Otake, born in 1989.[5] Imalu went on to become a tarento in 2009 under the name IMALU.

  1. ^ "Sakana-kun in Tohoku; Sanma x Okamura; CM of the week: Sukiya". The Japan Times. 18 September 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
  2. ^ Akashiya, Sanma (1980). Big na Kibun. Shueisha.
  3. ^ "Sanma, Tamori, Takeshi to co-host NTV comedy specials ‹ Japan Today: Japan News and Discussion". Japantoday.com. 2008-11-04. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  4. ^ Tanaka, Nobuko. "Romance at the edge of reason". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2014-12-05.
  5. ^ "'The Cat Lawyer and the Invisible Man'; Imalu as a barista; CM of the week: Loto 7". The Japan Times. Retrieved 2014-12-05.