Hitoshi Matsumoto facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hitoshi Matsumoto
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| 松本人志 | |
Hitoshi Matsumoto in 2011
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| Born | September 8, 1963 Amagasaki, Japan
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| Nationality | Japanese |
| Occupation | Comedian, film director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1983–2024 |
| Height | 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) |
| Spouse(s) | Rin Ihara (2009-present) |
| Children | 1 |
Hitoshi Matsumoto (松本 人志, Matsumoto Hitoshi, born September 8, 1963) is a famous Japanese comedian and filmmaker. He was born in Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. He is part of a comedy team called Downtown, working with Masatoshi Hamada. Matsumoto is known as one of Japan's most popular comedians.
Matsumoto has directed many movies since 2007, starting with Big Man Japan. He often stars as the main character in his films. He also hosts a popular show called Documental on Amazon Prime.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Hitoshi Matsumoto grew up in Amagasaki, Hyōgo, in a family that didn't have much money. He has an older sister and an older brother, Takahiro Matsumoto (松本 隆博, Matsumoto Takahiro). Takahiro is a well-known folk guitarist. He even wrote a book about his life called "Matsumoto's Older Brother" (松本の兄, Matsumoto no Ani).
Matsumoto has shared his feelings about growing up poor. He wrote a poem called Chicken Rice (チキンライス, Chikin Raisu). His comedy partner, Hamada, later turned this poem into a song in 2004. In the poem, Matsumoto wrote that laughter helped him get through tough times. He believes that growing up without much money made him very imaginative. It taught him to invent his own games and ways to have fun.
When he was a child, his favorite manga (Japanese comic books) was Tensai Bakabon. This manga was created by Fujio Akatsuka. Matsumoto even dreamed of becoming a manga artist himself.
He went to Ushio Elementary School, where he first met Masatoshi Hamada. Later, he graduated from Amagasaki Technical High School in 1982.
Comedy Career and Success
After high school, Hitoshi Matsumoto got a job at a printing office. But he really wanted to be a comedian. In 1982, his friend Hamada invited him to join Yoshimoto Kōgyō, a big entertainment company.
They teamed up and became the comedy duo Downtown. They made their first big appearance in 1983. The Downtown duo often performs in a Japanese comedy style called manzai. In manzai, one person acts silly or confused, and the other plays the serious, "straight man." Matsumoto usually plays the funny, half-wit character.
Personal Life and Family
For many years, Hitoshi Matsumoto remained single. His comedy partner, Hamada, was already married with children. Matsumoto used to say he wasn't interested in romance. He found things like sharing a bed or bathing with someone else to be bothersome.
However, in July 2008, it was revealed that Matsumoto was dating Rin Ihara. She was a 25-year-old Japanese TV personality at the time. On May 17, 2009, Matsumoto announced that he and Ihara had secretly gotten married. Ihara was a former weather announcer. She became pregnant, which led to their marriage. Matsumoto shared the news through a fax to media outlets. He mentioned that his wife would stop working and asked for privacy during this special time.
On October 6, 2009, Matsumoto and Rin Ihara welcomed their daughter into the world. At that time, Matsumoto was in South Korea for a film screening.
Hobbies and Interests
Matsumoto enjoys several hobbies. These include driving cars, playing billiards, and playing video games.
He is a big fan of the famous painter Vincent van Gogh. He has even traveled to Amsterdam to visit The Van Gogh Museum. These trips were filmed for a special documentary series called The True Hitoshi Matsumoto (松本人志の本当, Matsumoto Hitoshi no Hontō). He also respects the late comedian, Kanbi Fujiyama.
Matsumoto loves tokusatsu shows. These are Japanese live-action shows that feature special effects, like superheroes or giant monsters. He owns DVD sets of shows like Kamen Rider and Giant Robo. He has often made fun of tokusatsu shows on his old TV program, Downtown no Gottsu Ee Kanji. He even included tokusatsu elements in his first movie, Dainipponjin.
Health and Fitness
Hitoshi Matsumoto has shown he is quite fit on his show Gaki no Tsukai. He once beat his comedy partner Hamada in a high jump contest. He cleared 1.40 meters on his first try. In 1999, he outran Hamada and other cast members in a 100-meter race. Three years later, he did much better than them in a long jump competition.
Even though he says he's not interested in sports, he has tried boxing sometimes. This is because he is friends with a former world boxing champion, Joichiro Tatsuyoshi.
Matsumoto used to be a heavy cigarette smoker, but he quit in 2003.
In June 2010, Matsumoto had to take a break from his shows for two months. He had an injury to his left hip that needed surgery. He returned to hosting Gaki no Tsukai in August 2010. In later parts of the show that needed a lot of physical activity, like the annual New Year's Eve 24-Hour Batsu Games, he is often given easier roles because of his past injury.
During a 2011 Gaki no Tsukai batsu game, Matsumoto shared that he had a stress fracture while getting ready for the game. Even though his doctor told him not to, he still took part in the game.
List of Works
Films Directed or Starred In
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 Japan (2007)
- Symbol (2009)
- Saya Zamurai (2011)
- R100 (2013)
- Violence Voyager (2019), narrator
Television and Radio Shows
- 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)
- Ippon Grand Prix (IPPONグランプリ) (Since 2009)
- Matsumoto Hitoshi no Konto (MHK) (松本人志のコント) (2010)
- Hitoshi Matsumoto Presents Documental (Since 2016)
Books Written
- 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
