Masatoshi Hamada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Masatoshi Hamada |
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Hamada attending Midosuji Runway in Osaka, Japan in 2022
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| Native name | 浜田 雅功 |
| Born | May 11, 1963 Naniwa-ku, Osaka, Japan |
| Medium | Owarai Television |
| Years active | 1982–present |
| Spouse | Natsumi Ogawa |
| Children | 2 (including; Hama Okamoto) |
Masatoshi Hamada (浜田 雅功), often called Hama-chan (浜ちゃん), is a famous Japanese comedian. He is best known as the tsukkomi (the straight man) in the comedy duo Downtown. His comedy partner is Hitoshi Matsumoto. Hamada is married to Natsumi Ogawa, and they have two children together.
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Early Life and Comedy Beginnings
Masatoshi Hamada was born in Naniwa-ku, Osaka, Japan, in an area near Daikokucho Station. His parents are Kengoro and Nobuko Hamada. Before he started kindergarten, his family moved to Amagasaki in Hyōgo Prefecture.
Meeting Hitoshi Matsumoto
While attending Ushio Elementary School in Amagasaki, Hamada met Hitoshi Matsumoto. They didn't become close friends until they were in junior high school. Like Matsumoto, Hamada's family faced financial challenges. They lived in a very old apartment building.
Starting a Comedy Duo
In 1982, Hamada and Matsumoto decided to become a comedy duo. They joined Yoshimoto Kōgyō, a big entertainment company in Japan. Their first performance as a comedy team was in 1983.
Hamada's Comedic Style
Masatoshi Hamada is known for his unique and energetic comedy style. He often playfully taps or hits his comedy partner, Matsumoto, and other celebrities on the head. He might use his hand, a paper fan, or whatever is nearby.
On-Stage Personality
Hamada has a distinct, high-pitched laugh that he uses when his jokes land well. He is known for being very direct and honest in his humor. He speaks his mind to everyone, no matter how famous they are. There's a popular saying in the entertainment world: "Whoever is playfully hit on the head by Hamada will become successful."
Famous Comedy Moments
Hamada's strong comedic personality has been shown in many TV shows:
- On Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!, Hamada was once part of a fake trial. This was a joke about his many comedic actions on the show over the years.
- Downtown often plays pranks on their friends on Gaki no Tsukai. One common prank involves Hamada pretending to get very upset during filming. His acting is so good that it has made some people believe it's real.
- On a 2005 episode of Lincoln, Matsumoto offered a funny challenge. Younger comedians could either throw a pie at Hamada's face or kiss him. This was meant to help them overcome their "fear" of his strong comedic persona.
- Tsunku, a musician from the rock group Sharan Q, says he became famous after Hamada playfully hit him on Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ. Tsunku even said, "A musician will always make it big after being hit by Hamada."
Behind the Scenes
Despite his strong on-screen character, many younger comedians say that Hamada is kind and fair. They say he is good to both the staff and other comedians when the cameras are not rolling. Jimmy Onishi, another comedian, once said that he got along best with Hamada because he was "the most normal" person in the cast.
Running Jokes About Hamada
Hamada is also sometimes the target of jokes, usually from Matsumoto. Some common jokes about Hamada include:
- His Drawing Skills: He is known for not being very good at drawing. On Gaki no Tsukai, they sometimes played a game where people tried to guess what Hamada's drawing of a subject would look like.
- His Food Tastes: Hamada enjoys foods that are often preferred by children in Japan. These include hamburger patties, karaage (fried chicken), milk tea, and fast food like the Mega Mac. His all-time favorite food is yakisoba. Matsumoto jokes that Hamada has "the taste of a high school freshman." Hamada dislikes coffee and tomatoes.
- His Appearance: Matsumoto often jokes about Hamada's looks, especially his large lips. Matsumoto has called him names like "monkey child," "chimpanzee," "baby gorilla," and "lip monster." In one TV special, Hamada's face was even digitally placed on pictures of gorillas for a laugh.
Other Work and Projects
Beyond his comedy, Hamada has taken on many other roles.
Voice Acting
Hamada provided the Japanese voice for Slowking in the movie Pokémon: The Movie 2000. A special Pokémon card called "Hama-chan's Slowking" was released to promote the film. Hamada himself drew the Slowking on this card. He is also the Japanese voice of Shrek in the animated Shrek movies. The producer, Jeffrey Katzenberg, personally chose him for the role.
Television and Sports
In 2001, he starred in a TV miniseries called Ashitaga Arusa ("There's Always a Tomorrow"). Many other comedians from Yoshimoto Kōgyō, including Cocorico, were also in the show. A movie version was released in 2002. Hamada also worked as a guest sportscaster for Fuji Television at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. He was the voice of the host for the Japanese version of the trivia video game series You Don't Know Jack.
Music Career
In the 1990s, Hamada was part of a music duo called H jungle with t with Tetsuya Komuro. The "H" stood for Hamada and the "t" for Tetsuya. They released several popular songs, including "Wow War Tonight," which sold over 2 million copies. In this song, Hitoshi Matsumoto has a line that says "B-U-S-A-I-K-U H-A-M-A-D-A," which means "Ugly Hamada."
In 2004, Hamada released the song "Chicken Rice." Hitoshi Matsumoto wrote the lyrics for this song. The lyrics talk about their childhood and how they couldn't always afford expensive food. The song also asks if children today appreciate what their parents do for them. "Chicken Rice" became very popular, reaching number 2 on the Oricon weekly music charts.
Personal Life
Masatoshi Hamada speaks in the Kansai dialect because he is from Osaka. However, he uses a standard dialect when talking to his children. His hobbies include golf and baseball. While his comedy partner Matsumoto quit smoking in 2003, Hamada continues to smoke.
Pets
Even though he used to say he didn't like animals, Hamada recently became very fond of his family dog. In a 2007 episode of Gaki no Tsukai, he was asked what he would save first if an earthquake happened. His answer was "the dog."
Images for kids
