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Hello everyone!

This time, we would like to share a slightly unusual topic with you.

If you have noticed differences in humour between Japan and other countries after coming to Japan and watching TV or videos, this topic is for you!


Why is it that many foreigners do not understand Japanese humour? And why do Japanese people find Western humour uninteresting? There are three main hypotheses that attempt to answer these questions. ① The structure of humour and laughter is different, so they don’t connect with each other. ② Japanese and Western cultures are different, so their values regarding humour and laughter are different. ③ The language barrier is high, and understanding humour and laughter in a foreign language requires considerable ability. As a result, translating humour and laughter is difficult. The answer is… probably all of the above need to be verified.


We would like to examine the three hypotheses in order, but first we would like to explain a little about the term ‘Western countries.’ Needless to say, Western countries refer to Europe and America, but of course there are various cultures and values regarding humour across the two continents. Of course, we have not researched all of Western countries, but looking at the big picture, there are some noticeable trends, and we think it is not unreasonable to argue that these trends differ from the situation in Japan. In any case, while acknowledging that there are various factors at play, we will proceed with the analysis by specifying the relevant regions as necessary.

It is undeniable that tsukkomi is a central concept. Its history can be traced back to kyogen, a form of traditional Japanese theatre, from over 600 years ago. In other words, alongside Noh, a traditional performing art emerged that aimed to elicit laughter through interactions similar to those between boke and tsukkomi. Such an ancient tradition is likely unparalleled in the world.

While traditions change over time, the structure of this dialogue and interaction has been preserved and remains prevalent in today's popular talk-style manzai comedy. In fact, the structure of boke and tsukkomi has evolved into a highlight of manzai. If you think about it, in rakugo, the rakugo performer sits alone on the stage and tells the story, but the performer uses gestures such as turning to the right or left to portray two characters, which is also an example of this structure.


How was that?  

I'm sure many of you finally understand now.  

I hope to bring you more unusual topics like this from time to time!  


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