Hitoshi Matsumoto
Encyclopedia
, or Matchan as he is commonly known, is a Japanese comedian best known as the boke half the popular owarai
duo Downtown
alongside Masatoshi Hamada
. Matsumoto was born and raised in Amagasaki, just outside of Osaka
city and prefecture and technically in Hyōgo Prefecture
, though he usually refers to himself as an Osakan.
He directed, produced, and starred in the 2007 movie Big Man Japan
, which was shown at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
in the Directors' Fortnight
section.
to a poor family. He has one older sister and one older brother, , an established folk guitarist who released an autobiographical book titled . He has expressed his feelings about growing up in a poor household in a poem titled which Hamada turned into a song in 2004. In his poem, he wrote how laughter was the only way to get through those times. He credits his poverty for giving him a good imagination and sense of play, as it forced him to invent his own games to entertain himself.
His favourite manga
as a child was Tensai Bakabon
by Fujio Akatsuka
. He aspired to become a manga artist
. He is a skilled artist (unlike Masatoshi Hamada).
He attended Ushio Elementary School, where he met Masatoshi Hamada. He graduated from Amagasaki Technical High School in 1982. Although he secured a job at a printing office, to pursue his dream of becoming a comedian, he was invited by Hamada in 1982 to enter Yoshimoto Kōgyō
. Together, they became Downtown
, and made their major debut in 1983.
It was revealed in July 2008 that Matsumoto was dating then 25-year-old tarento
Ihara Rin. In the evening of May 17, 2009, it was announced that Matsumoto's official bachelorhood had ended with a secret marriage ceremony between himself and the aforementioned Ihara. Ihara, a former weather announcer for the Japanese news program "ズームイン!! Super" (Zoom In!! Super) is nineteen years Matsumoto's junior, and apparently became pregnant by Matsumoto, prompting the marriage. The announcement of the marriage came via fax by Matsumoto's managing organization to several media outlets, including a personal message by Matsumoto himself: "My partner will become an average citizen [i.e. not an entertainer] and is currently pregnant. As this is a delicate time, I would like this to be dealt with as gently as possible. It would be best to hold a press conference, however this situation is awkward and I will refrain from doing so." The original faxed announcement did not contain details on Matsumoto's wife; however it has become widely known that his new partner is Ihara.
On October 6, 2009, Matsumoto and Ihara Rin became parents to a daughter. At the time, Matsumoto was in South Korea for the screening of the film "Symbol."
, and video games. He has played billiards against numerous musicians on the Downtown hosted music show, Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ, such as Gackt
. His favorite video game is Tetris
and says his nickname is "The Tetrist" (テトリスト). He jokes he can play Tetris until the corners of the blocks wear out and become rounded. However, in his televised Tetris battles with both Utada Hikaru
(on Music Champ) and Shinya Arino of Yoiko
(on LINCOLN
), he showed mediocre skills and lost.
As an admirer of Vincent Van Gogh
and Anne Frank
, he has gone to Amsterdam
to visit The Van Gogh Museum
and Anne Frank's house
. These trips were filmed for , a special NHK BS documentary series. Another figure he respects is the late comedian, Kanbi Fujiyama.
He enjoys tokusatsu
shows and owns DVD
box sets of series such as Kamen Rider
and Giant Robo
. He has parodied tokusatsu a number of times on his previous show, Downtown no Gottsu Ee Kanji
(with characters such as the Go-Renjai, Miracle Ace and Aho Aho Man), and in his directorial film debut, Dainipponjin.
competition by clearing 1.40m on the first try. In 1999, he outran Hamada, Hōsei Yamasaki and both members of Cocorico
in a 100-meter race (he ran the entire length while the other four ran a quarter of the length each in the form of a relay race
). Three years later, he performed notably better than them in a long jump
competition.
Although he claims to have no interest in sports, he has occasionally dabbled in boxing
as he is friends with former world boxing champion Joichiro Tatsuyoshi
.
Once a heavy cigarette smoker
, he quit in 2003.
On June 28, 2010, Yoshimoto Kogyo announced that Matsumoto would not be performing on any shows for two months due to an injury on his left hip, which required surgery. For two episodes, the remaining Gaki no Tsukai cast members discussed Matsumoto's condition. He has since returned to hosting on August 31, 2010.
. He dislikes wearing clothing with words on them – he believes entertainers, who express themselves through body language, should not be displaying someone else's "meaningless" words on their bodies. Incidentally, his comedy partner Hamada always appears on television in casual brand name clothing, often with a graphic print or logo
T-shirt.
," and geinin means "entertainer." This term is said to have been invented by Matsumoto, and it refers to entertainers who can take on a personality completely different from their own when on stage or in front of a camera. Hyōi-geinin tend to be shy and uncomfortable with revealing their true character and find it hard to perform without hiding behind an outrageous personality or appearance. As such, the often silly and oafish Matsumoto is said to be more mild-mannered and serious off screen.
Other terms that are said to be (but not confirmed to be) popularized by Matsumoto:
It is also claimed by some that he has popularized the act of labeling someone as "an S" (sadist) or "an M" (masochist). He considers himself an M, while his comedy partner, Hamada, is an S.
Full-length movies:
Owarai
is a broad word used to describe Japanese comedy as seen on television. The word owarai is the honorific form of the word warai, meaning "a laugh" or "a smile". Owarai is most common on Japanese variety shows and the comedians are referred to as owarai geinin or owarai tarento...
duo Downtown
Downtown (owarai)
is a Japanese comedy duo from Amagasaki, Hyōgo consisting of and . Formed in 1982, they are one of the most influential and prolific kombi in Japan today...
alongside Masatoshi Hamada
Masatoshi Hamada
is a Japanese comedian best known as the tsukkomi half of the popular owarai duo Downtown alongside Hitoshi Matsumoto. His nickname is Hama-chan , and is married to Natsumi Ogawa...
. Matsumoto was born and raised in Amagasaki, just outside of Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
city and prefecture and technically in Hyōgo Prefecture
Hyogo Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
, though he usually refers to himself as an Osakan.
He directed, produced, and starred in the 2007 movie Big Man Japan
Big Man Japan
is a 2007 Japanese film written, directed and starring Hitoshi Matsumoto. It was well-received by critics in the U.S., after many months of being shown at various festivals and film events. It has received a "Fresh" score of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes.-Story:...
, which was shown at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
in the Directors' Fortnight
Directors' Fortnight
Directors' Fortnight is an independent section held in parallel to the Cannes Film Festival. The section was created in 1969 after the events of May 1968, in which the Cannes festival was canceled in solidarity with striking workers....
section.
Early life
Matsumoto was born in Amagasaki, HyōgoAmagasaki, Hyogo
is an industrial city located in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. The city was founded on April 1, 1916. Its population is around 460,000, below its peak of over 554,000 in 1971.-History:...
to a poor family. He has one older sister and one older brother, , an established folk guitarist who released an autobiographical book titled . He has expressed his feelings about growing up in a poor household in a poem titled which Hamada turned into a song in 2004. In his poem, he wrote how laughter was the only way to get through those times. He credits his poverty for giving him a good imagination and sense of play, as it forced him to invent his own games to entertain himself.
His favourite manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
as a child was Tensai Bakabon
Tensai Bakabon
is a manga and anime series created by Fujio Akatsuka which began publication on April 9, 1967 in Weekly Shōnen Magazine. It is about the misadventures of a dim-witted boy and his insane father, the latter of whom eventually becomes the central character.-Characters:-Anime:Four anime series have...
by Fujio Akatsuka
Fujio Akatsuka
was a pioneer Japanese artist of comical manga known as the Gag Manga King. His name at birth is 赤塚 藤雄, whose Japanese pronunciation is the same as 赤塚 不二夫....
. He aspired to become a manga artist
Mangaka
is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
. He is a skilled artist (unlike Masatoshi Hamada).
He attended Ushio Elementary School, where he met Masatoshi Hamada. He graduated from Amagasaki Technical High School in 1982. Although he secured a job at a printing office, to pursue his dream of becoming a comedian, he was invited by Hamada in 1982 to enter Yoshimoto Kōgyō
Yoshimoto Kogyo
is a major Japanese entertainment conglomerate, with its headquarters based in Osaka. It was founded in 1912 as a traditional theatre, and has since grown to be one of the most influential companies in Japan, employing most of Japan's popular owarai talent, producing and promoting the shows they...
. Together, they became Downtown
Downtown (owarai)
is a Japanese comedy duo from Amagasaki, Hyōgo consisting of and . Formed in 1982, they are one of the most influential and prolific kombi in Japan today...
, and made their major debut in 1983.
Bachelorhood
Matsumoto remained single with no history of marriage for years after his comedy partner, Hamada, was married with children. He stated that he was not into romance, finding acts such as sharing a bed or bathing with someone else bothersome and unnecessary. He mentioned his dislike for children and said that if he married and had children, he would end up seeing them as rivals for his wife's attention. He preferred dogs as companions.It was revealed in July 2008 that Matsumoto was dating then 25-year-old tarento
Tarento
is a Japanese rendering of the English word "talent" and is used as a catch-all term for mass media personalities who regularly appear on television. Detractors of the phenomenon have referred to it in an English sense as "famous just for being famous" because many that fall into this career line...
Ihara Rin. In the evening of May 17, 2009, it was announced that Matsumoto's official bachelorhood had ended with a secret marriage ceremony between himself and the aforementioned Ihara. Ihara, a former weather announcer for the Japanese news program "ズームイン!! Super" (Zoom In!! Super) is nineteen years Matsumoto's junior, and apparently became pregnant by Matsumoto, prompting the marriage. The announcement of the marriage came via fax by Matsumoto's managing organization to several media outlets, including a personal message by Matsumoto himself: "My partner will become an average citizen [i.e. not an entertainer] and is currently pregnant. As this is a delicate time, I would like this to be dealt with as gently as possible. It would be best to hold a press conference, however this situation is awkward and I will refrain from doing so." The original faxed announcement did not contain details on Matsumoto's wife; however it has become widely known that his new partner is Ihara.
On October 6, 2009, Matsumoto and Ihara Rin became parents to a daughter. At the time, Matsumoto was in South Korea for the screening of the film "Symbol."
Interests
Matsumoto's hobbies include driving, billiardsBilliards
Cue sports , also known as billiard sports, are a wide variety of games of skill generally played with a cue stick which is used to strike billiard balls, moving them around a cloth-covered billiards table bounded by rubber .Historically, the umbrella term was billiards...
, and video games. He has played billiards against numerous musicians on the Downtown hosted music show, Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ, such as Gackt
Gackt
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, voice actor and author. Usually referred to by his mononymous stage name, he is known for his career as a solo artist and as the former vocalist for the defunct visual kei rock band Malice Mizer....
. His favorite video game is Tetris
Tetris
Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
and says his nickname is "The Tetrist" (テトリスト). He jokes he can play Tetris until the corners of the blocks wear out and become rounded. However, in his televised Tetris battles with both Utada Hikaru
Utada Hikaru
, known by her stage name Utada in America and Europe, is a Japanese-American singer, song writer, arranger, and producer. Since the release of her Japanese debut album First Love, which went on to become the best-selling album in Oricon history, Utada has had three of her Japanese studio albums...
(on Music Champ) and Shinya Arino of Yoiko
Yoiko
is a Japanese comic duo duo from Osaka working for Shōchiku Geinō, the second largest comedy talent agency in Japan following Yoshimoto Kōgyō.Yoiko are known otakus, even appearing on the variety show LINCOLN cosplaying as Char Aznable and Amuro Ray of the Gundam anime series and taking Downtown to...
(on LINCOLN
Lincoln (variety show)
LINCOLN is a Japanese variety show. It premiered on October 18, 2005, and airs on TBS every Tuesday nights. Hosted by Downtown, it features seven other owarai geinin in its regular cast, and has several recurring younger, more inexperienced comedians as guests.The show uses Abraham Lincoln as its...
), he showed mediocre skills and lost.
As an admirer of Vincent Van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
and Anne Frank
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, her diary has become one of the world's most widely read books, and has been the basis for several plays and films.Born in the city of Frankfurt...
, he has gone to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
to visit The Van Gogh Museum
Van Gogh Museum
The Van Gogh Museum is an art museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, featuring the works of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh and his contemporaries. It has the largest collection of Van Gogh's paintings and drawings in the world.-Background:...
and Anne Frank's house
Anne Frank House
The Anne Frank House on Prinsengracht canal in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is a museum dedicated to Jewish wartime diarist Anne Frank, who hid from Nazi persecution with her family and four other people in hidden rooms at the rear of the building...
. These trips were filmed for , a special NHK BS documentary series. Another figure he respects is the late comedian, Kanbi Fujiyama.
He enjoys tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
shows and owns DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
box sets of series such as Kamen Rider
Kamen Rider
, is a weekly science fiction story created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. It debuted as a tokusatsu television series on April 3, 1971 and ran until February 10, 1973, airing on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV . A manga adaptation was also featured in Shōnen Magazine...
and Giant Robo
Giant Robo (tokusatsu)
, is a manga and tokusatsu series created by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. It is similar to his famous Tetsujin 28-go , though Giant Robo has more fantastic elements....
. He has parodied tokusatsu a number of times on his previous show, Downtown no Gottsu Ee Kanji
Downtown no Gottsu Ee Kanji
Downtown no Gottsu Ee Kanji , translated as Downtown's Feelin' Real Good, was a Japanese variety show. It premiered on December 8, 1991 and ended its run on November 2, 1997. It aired on Fuji Television every Sunday night...
(with characters such as the Go-Renjai, Miracle Ace and Aho Aho Man), and in his directorial film debut, Dainipponjin.
Health
He has demonstrated good physical fitness on Gaki no Tsukai. He defeated his comedy partner Hamada in a high jumpHigh jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
competition by clearing 1.40m on the first try. In 1999, he outran Hamada, Hōsei Yamasaki and both members of Cocorico
Cocorico
Cocorico may refer to:* The Brazilian TV program, Cocoricó* The French art magazine, Cocorico * The Puerto Rican soda drink, Coco Rico* A Japanese comedy act, Cocorico...
in a 100-meter race (he ran the entire length while the other four ran a quarter of the length each in the form of a relay race
Relay race
During a relay race, members of a team take turns running, orienteering, swimming, cross-country skiing, biathlon, or ice skating parts of a circuit or performing a certain action. Relay races take the form of professional races and amateur games...
). Three years later, he performed notably better than them in a long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
competition.
Although he claims to have no interest in sports, he has occasionally dabbled in boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
as he is friends with former world boxing champion Joichiro Tatsuyoshi
Joichiro Tatsuyoshi
is a former World Boxing Council world bantamweight champion from Kurashiki, Okayama, Japan. His record is 19–6–1 .He is popular for his fight style and unique personality, and has appeared in several television variety shows....
.
Once a heavy cigarette smoker
Smoking
Smoking is a practice in which a substance, most commonly tobacco or cannabis, is burned and the smoke is tasted or inhaled. This is primarily practised as a route of administration for recreational drug use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes them...
, he quit in 2003.
On June 28, 2010, Yoshimoto Kogyo announced that Matsumoto would not be performing on any shows for two months due to an injury on his left hip, which required surgery. For two episodes, the remaining Gaki no Tsukai cast members discussed Matsumoto's condition. He has since returned to hosting on August 31, 2010.
Fashion
Matsumoto often appears on television wearing a suit and tie, with the tie tucked in his pants as a personal touch. When not wearing a suit, he opts for denim pants and a plain white T-shirtT-shirt
A T-shirt is a style of shirt. A T-shirt is buttonless and collarless, with short sleeves and frequently a round neck line....
. He dislikes wearing clothing with words on them – he believes entertainers, who express themselves through body language, should not be displaying someone else's "meaningless" words on their bodies. Incidentally, his comedy partner Hamada always appears on television in casual brand name clothing, often with a graphic print or logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
T-shirt.
Hyōi-geinin
Matsumoto is a self-proclaimed hyōi-geinin (憑依芸人). Hyōi means "spiritual possessionSpiritual possession
Spirit possession is a paranormal or supernatural event in which it is said that spirits, gods, demons, animas, extraterrestrials, or other disincarnate or extraterrestrial entities take control of a human body, resulting in noticeable changes in health and behaviour...
," and geinin means "entertainer." This term is said to have been invented by Matsumoto, and it refers to entertainers who can take on a personality completely different from their own when on stage or in front of a camera. Hyōi-geinin tend to be shy and uncomfortable with revealing their true character and find it hard to perform without hiding behind an outrageous personality or appearance. As such, the often silly and oafish Matsumoto is said to be more mild-mannered and serious off screen.
Other terms that are said to be (but not confirmed to be) popularized by Matsumoto:
- samui or sabui (寒い, サブい) Literally meaning "cold," it refers to anything corny and unfunny.
- BLUE ni naru (ブルーになる) To become "blue" (sad).
- gyaku-gire (逆ギレ) When one becomes angry as a response to someone who is angry at them.
It is also claimed by some that he has popularized the act of labeling someone as "an S" (sadist) or "an M" (masochist). He considers himself an M, while his comedy partner, Hamada, is an S.
Films
Comic shorts:- Tōzu (頭頭) (1993)
- Sundome Kaikyō (寸止め海峡) (1995)
- Visualbum Vol. Apple – Promise (ビジュアルバム Vol. リンゴ – 約束) (1998)
- Visualbum Vol. Banana – Kindness (ビジュアルバム Vol. バナナ – 親切) (1998)
- Visualbum Vol. Grape – Relief (ビジュアルバム Vol. ブドウ – 安心) (1999)
- Sasuke (佐助) (2001)
- Zassā (ザッサー) (2006)
Full-length movies:
- Big Man JapanBig Man Japanis a 2007 Japanese film written, directed and starring Hitoshi Matsumoto. It was well-received by critics in the U.S., after many months of being shown at various festivals and film events. It has received a "Fresh" score of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes.-Story:...
(2007) - SymbolSymbol (Film)Symbol is a 2009 Japanese film directed by and starring Hitoshi Matsumoto. It was nominated for the Asian Film Awards in the categories of Best Actor and Best Visual Effects. It has not received a U.S. release.- Story :...
(2009) - Saya Zamurai (2011)
Television and radio
- Hitori gottsu (一人ごっつ) (1996–1997)
- Densetsu no kyōshi (伝説の教師) (2000)
- Ashita ga aru sa (明日があるさ) (2001)
- Hōsō-shitsu (放送室) (Since 2001)
- Hitoshi Matsumoto no suberanai hanashi (人志松本のすべらない話) (Since 2004)
- Matsumoto Hitoshi no Konto (MHK) (松本一志のコント) (2010)
Books
- Isho (遺書) (1994) ISBN 978-4-02-256809-0
- Matsumoto (松本) (1995) ISBN 978-4-02-256898-4
- Matsumoto Hitoshi Ai (松本人志 愛) (1998) ISBN 978-4-02-257300-1
- Matsumoto Bōzu (松本坊主) (1999) ISBN 978-4-947599-62-9
- Zukan (図鑑) (2000) ISBN 978-4-02-257550-0
- Matsumoto Cinema Bōzu (松本シネマ坊主) (2002) ISBN 978-4-8222-1733-4
- Matsumoto Saiban (松本裁判) (2002) ISBN 978-4-86052-002-1
- Teihon Hitorigottsu (定本一人ごっつ) ISBN 978-4-86052-024-3
- Sukika, Kiraika – Matsumoto Hitoshi no Nigenron (好きか、嫌いか – 松本人志の二元論) (2004) ISBN 978-4-08-780401-0
- Sukika, Kiraika 2 – Matsumoto Hitoshi no Saishuu Sanban (好きか、嫌いか2 – 松本人志の最終裁判) (2005) ISBN 978-4-08-780422-5
- Cinema Bōzu 2 (シネマ坊主2) (2005) ISBN 978-4-8222-1744-0
- Cinema Bōzu 3 (シネマ坊主3) (2008) ISBN 978-4-8222-6321-8
- Matsumoto Hitoshi No Ikari Akaban (松本人志の怒り 赤版) (2008) ISBN 978-4-08-780503-1
- Matsumoto Hitoshi No Ikari Aoban (松本人志の怒り 青版) (2008) ISBN 978-4-08-780504-8
External links
- Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!! (Nippon TV) official site
- Lincoln (TBS TV) official site
- Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ (Fuji TV) official site
- Dai-Nipponjin review at SaruDama.com
- Hitoshi Matsumoto discography at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
.