Manzai (漫才) is a style of stand-up comedy in Japan, which usually involves two performers—a straight man (tsukkomi) and a funny man (boke)—trading jokes at great speed. Most of the jokes revolve around mutual misunderstandings, double-talk, puns and other verbal gags.
Though pairs are most common, some perform alone, and at times there have been performances with more than a dozen comedians. It is typical for them to wear traditional Japanese dress and some may carry a fan or musical instrument.
In recent times, manzai has often been associated with the Osaka region, and manzai comedians often speak in the Kansai dialect during their acts. Yoshimoto Kogyo, a large entertainment conglomerate based in Osaka, first coined the term manzai in 1933, as well as introducing the form of comedy to Tokyoites.