Kinichi Hagimoto
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese comedian.
He is active as a stage performer, emcee, and manager of the amateur Ibaraki
Golden Golds (ibaraki goruden gōruzu) of the Japanese Baseball Association (nippon yakyuu renmei).
Born in the Taitō
ward of Tōkyō
, Japan
, he graduated from Komagome High School, and now belongs to the Asai Kikaku talent agency.
He is called "Kin-chan" by fans and those within the entertainment industry.
He is also known as "Hagimō", "Kin", etc.
Amongst the many entertainers he has developed on his shows, who are known as the "Kinchan Family", he is known as "Taishō" ("The General").
In the 1970s and 80s, with acts like "nande sō naru no!" ("Why does it get like that!") and physical comedy such as his distinctive "Kinchan run" (based on Hachiro Azuma) he blossomed into a polished professional.
Many of his famous lines like "dochira dake", "banzaai nashi yo" are still heard today.
Some comedic jargon such as "ukeru" (and "yaya uke", "baka uke", etc.) that have become common Japanese words are said to have originated from his variety show "Kinchan No Don To Itte Miyō". He presented three successful variety programmes in the 1970s and 1980s, and by the mid-1980s was one of the most popular comedians on Japanese television.
comedic legend Toshimitsu Ōmiya to ask for an apprenticeship, but was told to at least finish high school first.
After high school he was at last slated to enter Ōmiya's Asakusa Shochiku Engeijō comedic troupe through an introduction by the Tōyō Gekijō (Tōyō Kōgyō Keiei) troupe of the Asakusa Kōen Rokku red-light entertainment district.
However, after being told by Ōmiya "you can always come to our place if it doesn't work out there" he stopped at the last minute and went to nearby Tōyō Gekijō instead.
He started out as an apprentice.
At Tōyō Gekijō, he took direction from many veterans such as Shin-ichi Ike, Eiji Ishida, and Hachiro Azuma.
He was taken under the wing of their master and head of the Asakusa scene, Senzaburo Fukami (the master of Beat Takeshi
, who later scolded Hagimoto for trying to conceal his beginnings in the Asakusa burlesque
scene after moving on to television).
After developing at Tōyō Gekijō, he moved to the affiliated Asakusa Furansu-Za, where he polished his act doing intermission skits.
It was there that he met comedian and later partner Rōru Andō (later known as Jirō Sakagami
). At that time, however, they were more rivals than partners, competing to get laughs. His impression of Sakagami was "If I perform with him I'll get upstaged."
After this he left Tōyō Gekijō and went through some other troupes, then headlined the newly formed Gekidan Asakusa Shinkigeki at Asakusa Shochiku Engeijō.
During that time, he trained under broadcast writer Katsuo Hamaka and undertook the creation of true professional comedy.
At that time he also met Michio Iwashiro, who would later be responsible for most of the lines for the Hagimoto's Konto 55-gō act.
Also, through Hamaka's connections, he met TBS
network producer Sōya Mukai and entertainment manager Ryōji Asai (head of Asai Kikaku), and began his career as a professional talent.
He appeared in a commercial for a comedy program that Mukai was handling called "Jintaka Panchi".
However it took him 22 filming takes, perhaps due to nerves, and he was compelled to quit.
The disappointed Hagimoto gave up on a television career and decided to focus on a stage career.
He broke up the Asakusa Shinkigeki, and started anew at the Atami Tsuruya Hotel.
There he came up with the solo skit "Tsukue", which would later be an early staple for Konto 55-gō which took Japan by storm.
During the time with Katsuo Hamaka, he was a friend of Shin-ichi Ichikawa, who would make his scriptwriting debut with the television series "Kaijū Būsuka".
He would later write for the Nippon Television
40th anniversary special drama "Goruden Boizu" ("Golden Boys") in which a young Hagimoto appeared (with Kazuki Kosakai).
They became a sensation appearing on the live program "Ohiru no goruden shō" with Takehiko Maeda on Fuji Television
(1968–71).
After this, they dominated television with programs such as "Konto 55-gō no Sekai Wa Warau" (Fuji TV), "Konto 55-gō no Urabangumi wo Buttobase!" and "Konto 55-gō no Nande Sou Naru No?" (NTV), "Chīmu 55-gō" and "Minna-de deyō! 55-gō ketteiban" (TBS), "Whoa! Konto 55-gō!!" and "Konto 55-gō!! Waratte tamaru ka!?" (NET TV, now Asahi TV).
They continued performing as a duo after that, but gradually started a solo career as well starting in 1975 as the star of the hit show "Pittashi Kan-Kan" (TBS) hosted by Hiroshi Kume.
The program based mostly on letters from listeners rose in popularity, and debuted on television in 1975 on a Saturday night slot on Fuji Television.
At the same time he was hosting "Ōru sutā kazoku taikou utagassen" ("all-star family singing battle") (1972–1986, Hagimoto until June 1984) on the same network and "Sutā Tanjō!" (birth of a star) (Nippon Television), where he developed a style of interacting with the family of guests and amateur extras. This was expanded in shows such as "Kin Don!" which featured a cast of primarily amateurs called the "Kin Don Gekidan", and in features interacting with passersby while walking down streets on location, and mastered to perfection in later shows.
When given proposals for new shows, he often responded, "I can't emcee, so I want you to hire a girl who can emcee properly."
It is said that this was the beginning of the "assistant" role in shows.
Later in 1981 his series "Kin Don! Yoi Ko Warui Ko Futsū no Ko" (Fuji Television) began on Mondays at 9PM.
After continued high ratings in his next shows "Kinchan No Doko Made Yaru No!?" ("Kin doko") on Asahi in 1976 and "Kinchan no Shūkan Kin-yōbi" (TBS) in 1982, he picked up the nickname "100% Otoko", reflecting the sum of the ratings for the three shows.
The many celebrities whose careers were born on these shows became known as the "Kinchan Family".
Hagimoto is not only skilled at making ordinary performers into professional comedians, but also in drawing out the comedic side of celebrities.
Among those he developed into comedic starts includes Kiyoshi Maekawa (singer, previously a "cool" character actor), Hiroshi Uchiyama and Cool Five (mood ballad group), Rie Nakahara (young ballad singer), Junko Maya (formerly a stage actress), Masaru Shiga (villain actor).
However, though Hagimoto's popularity and fame rose through his programs, many stars were washed up in the process.
By appearing on his programs, many stars sacrificed their acting or musical careers.
Though their renewed popularity was mostly due to Hagimoto's talents, many became overconfident in their own abilities.
One example is Seiroku Saitō, who gained sudden fame appearing on "Kin Doko", but was rarely seen on television after that.
Aside from starring in and producing top rate variety programs,
he became the face of programs beginning with "Sutā Tanjō" (NTV) in 1971,
continuing with "Ōru stā Kazoku Taikō Utagassen" (Fuji) as host,
the still running "24-Jikan Terebi" ("24 Hour Television") (NTV) from 1978,
and also in radio on the "Rajio Charitī Myūjikkuson" ("Radio Charity Music-thon") (Nippon Hōsō) from 1975.
Hagimoto went on a six month "recharge" hiatus from all his regular programs starting in March 1985.
He stated that he didn't have the confidence to maintain the popularity of his "100% Otoko" level,
also commenting that he was tired of the ad lib style programs that were becoming popular at the time.
He reportedly never liked ad-lib, often begging partner Sakagami backstage to stick to the script.
However, in regards to requests from NTV director Takao Saito to follow the script he commented that "performers have pride as performers",
and was known to ad-lib on stage at times.
Regarding the hiatus he was also noted afterwards as saying that he felt down about the start of a downward trend in ratings.
and saw the surrender of his early 80's spot in the "Owarai Big 3" with Beat Takeshi and Tamori
to Sanma Akashiya
.
However, he still regularly appears on television such as on "Kinchan & Katori Shingo no Zen-Nihon Kasō Taishō
" ("Kinchan & Shingo Katori's All-Japan Costume Grand Prix"), and is still a household name.
He hosted the closing ceremonies of the Nagano Olympics in 1998.
Since 1980, he has been active organizing the "Kinchan Gekidan" with Kiyoshi Maegawa, performing on stage.
Perhaps due to that and a lament for the recent decine in baseball's popularity in Japan, he aimed to show the fun of baseballby starting the Kantō
-based amateur baseball "Ibaraki Golden Golds" (based in Sakuragawa-mura, now Inashiki-shi, Ibaraki) of the Nippon Yakyū Renmei (Japanese Baseball Association) on December 26, 2004.
With an unprecedented collection of former professional players, comedians, and a female player he created the most popular amateur team ever.
This started a trend of clubs started by celebrities such as Kensaku Morita, Jōji Yamamoto, and Hiroshi Moriguchi,
and made a large contribution to the revival of baseball's popularity.
Within the team, rather than the usual "Hagimoto-kantoku" (Coach Hagimoto) he is called "Kintoku", and abbreviation of "Kinichi-kantoku".
During exhibition games, he is known to hold the mike and give running commentary on the game or encourage the players, drawing the crowd into the game.
In addition, he has formed a sister team, the Miyazaki
Golden Golds.
, team member and former comedic duo Gokuraku Tonbo member Kei-ichi Yamamoto was charged with sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl.
He was dismissed from his talent agency Yoshimoto Kōgyō
the same day.
The morning after this rapid succession of events, appearing before a group of reporters with teary eyes, Hagimoto announced, "With something of this magnitude, it's not just a matter of punishing Yamamoto. I'm the one who started this team in the first place...I love baseball, but I've decided to break it up. I'm sorry."
He had told the amateur baseball federation of his intention to break up the team a full eight hours before his public announcement.
Reportedly Yamamoto called to apologize the next day after the incident, but Hagimoto responded, "I don't want to hear about it! Hang up now!"
The announcement caused waves, with local residents circulating a petition to continue the team and media surveys also showing widespread support for continuing.
On the field before a game with Sega Sammy in Niigata Prefecture
on July 22, he reversed his decision to breakup the team.
Though there was strong support for him from the media and public opinion, he took some criticism from some athletes for breaking up the team based on his own feelings then just as whimsically retreating on his statement due to the public reaction without properly considering the feelings of the players who had no involvement with the incident.
Also, his leadership skills were questioned since he did not take personal responsibility as mananger.
Furthermore, there was no apology for the fact that other players were involved in the incident.
In addition, at the time of the breakup announcement in front of cameras when asked if he had a message for Yamamoto he coldly replied, "now the team is gone!", but when repealing the announcement he suddenly changed his tone, saying, "why you don't come out one night when there're no fans wearing a uniform with no number and hang out with us just as Yamamoto".
In an interview with the show "Waido! Sukuranburu" ("Wide! Scramble") he mentioned the possibility of Yamamoto returning at first as a ball boy
with the uniform number 0.
However, he also made large roster changes to the team and commented other times that there was no possibility of Yamamoto's return, causing uncertainty surrounding the team.
In January 2007 Yamamoto appeared at a public team workout and apologized in person to Hagimoto, with shouts of encouragement from watching fans.
However, Hagimoto made comments to the effect that he had still not forgiven Yamamoto.
, who was living in seclusion in Switzerland
at the time, for a Fuji Television production.
It all started when Hagimoto mentioned Chaplin as a comedian he respected.
Actually, Hagimoto only mentioned his name because "he is the most famous comedian on earth", while only having seen Chaplin's movies a couple of times.
At the time, it was said that Chaplin would not meet anyone, and the production staff was uncertain whether it would actually happen, but a confident Hagimoto set off for Switzerland.
Hagimoto was given 4-days.
On the first day, as feared he was told by carers that Chaplin was not available.
The next day, they were able to see Chaplin in his car as he returned home, but were not allowed on his property.
They were advised by Toraichi Kouno, a former driver for Chaplin, that "if there was a woman he would probably meet with you" and "he likes Japanese".
Hagimoto brought a Hakata doll as gift to the house and was told by Chaplin's manager that they would take the gift, but only tell Chaplin of the visitor from Japan.
On the last day, Hagimoto persisted by trying to explain that he just came to express his respect for the man, but was refused by the manager again.
An angry and frustrated Hagimoto started yelling in Japanese, "That movie (full of humanism) is just a lie!"
Chaplin, who overheard the commotion, came out to see what was happening, and warmly greeted him.
According to Hagimoto, the manager explained that various extortionists constantly visit the house so he refused unsolicited visitors access to Chaplin.
After the visit Hagimoto has had a deep respect for Chaplin, and has even watched all his works.
In December 1977 during the Nippon Broadcasting "Rajio Charitī Myūjikkuson" news of Chaplin's death was reported by Hagimoto, who spontaneously started crying.
This was because she was a show dancer he knew during his humble early days in the Asakusa burlesque scene.
According to his autobiography, he encountered no resistance from the press to his request, even receiving applause from the reporters at the time of the announcement, who were already aware of her background.
Also, he has three children with her, who were not introduced to the press for some time since they led private lives.
In his 2007 autobiography he finally introduced their names publicly.
Considering his age of 66 years, he chose a distance of 70 km (rather than the usual 100 km) which was considered to be possible in 24 hours even if walked.
He still had 900m remaining when time ran out in the broadcast at 20:52:30, but his finish was shown in the next time slot ("Gyōretsu no Dekiru Hōritsu Sōdansho"). Viewer ratings peaked at 42.9% at the finishing moment, with an average of 35%. Always liking to stick to the script, he was disappointed at failing to finish inside the scheduled program time.
He also helped the then unknown Dauntaun
("Downtown") comedic duo by giving them appearances on his shows.
Though of completely opposite style, they felt a huge obligation to him, with Dauntauns Hamada
once telling the staff of a radio program "get rid of the Hagimoto insults" when handed a script that included jokes about Hagimoto.
Dauntauns Matsumoto
recalled his appreciation for him in a book that looking back at the early times when the "Taishō" gave Dauntaun freedom to decide on the content of their act (while keeping a short leash on others).
Around that time he was thrilled to discover the "once in a decade" talents of Jimi Ōnishi.
However, after meeting with him in the dressing room, he dejectedly commented "[the act] was all just 'tennen' (natural)" (mindless foolishness rather than calculated comedic genius).
This is said to be the origin of the term "tennen boke" ("natural fool").
The game "yakyūken" in which the players play "jan ken pon" (rock-paper-scissors
) while dancing to music and the loser takes off a piece of clothing, became well known after appearing on "Urabangumi wo buttobase!".
However, Hagimoto apparently hated it at the time.
One reason was its dirtiness, and also the fact that comedic talents of the performers took a backseat to the game itself.
It was said that he felt that comedy culture was degradating due to these acts.
However, he took part in a game in 2005 at the birthplace of yakyūken, Matsuyama (where originally clothing was not removed).
The "atchi muite hoi" extension of "jan ken pon" is said to have spread nationwide only after its use in Kinchan's spot on "Sutā Tanjō!".
Countless other jokes and material are said to have originated from his programs like "Kin Don!", "Yoi Ko, Warui Ko, Futsū no Ko", and "Kinchan Gekidan".
Within the team the trio of Tsuruma, Ōkura, and Kimizuka are known as the "Sarada-Tō".
Hagimoto himself also contributed under the pen name "Fusashi Aki".
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese comedian.
He is active as a stage performer, emcee, and manager of the amateur Ibaraki
Ibaraki, Ibaraki
is a town located in Higashiibaraki District, Ibaraki, Japan.The town was set to merge with Mito, Ibaraki on December 8, 2007, but following the election of a new mayor in April 2007, these plans were abandoned....
Golden Golds (ibaraki goruden gōruzu) of the Japanese Baseball Association (nippon yakyuu renmei).
Born in the Taitō
Taito, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Taito City.As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 168,909, with 94,908 households, and a population density of 16,745.86 persons per km². The total area is 10.08 km².-History:The ward was founded...
ward of Tōkyō
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, he graduated from Komagome High School, and now belongs to the Asai Kikaku talent agency.
He is called "Kin-chan" by fans and those within the entertainment industry.
He is also known as "Hagimō", "Kin", etc.
Amongst the many entertainers he has developed on his shows, who are known as the "Kinchan Family", he is known as "Taishō" ("The General").
In the 1970s and 80s, with acts like "nande sō naru no!" ("Why does it get like that!") and physical comedy such as his distinctive "Kinchan run" (based on Hachiro Azuma) he blossomed into a polished professional.
Many of his famous lines like "dochira dake", "banzaai nashi yo" are still heard today.
Some comedic jargon such as "ukeru" (and "yaya uke", "baka uke", etc.) that have become common Japanese words are said to have originated from his variety show "Kinchan No Don To Itte Miyō". He presented three successful variety programmes in the 1970s and 1980s, and by the mid-1980s was one of the most popular comedians on Japanese television.
Before Konto 55-gō
Hagimoto aspired for a career as an entertainer as far back as junior high school times, when after graduation he approached the local AsakusaAsakusa
is a district in Taitō, Tokyo, Japan, most famous for the Sensō-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon. There are several other temples in Asakusa, as well as various festivals.- History :...
comedic legend Toshimitsu Ōmiya to ask for an apprenticeship, but was told to at least finish high school first.
After high school he was at last slated to enter Ōmiya's Asakusa Shochiku Engeijō comedic troupe through an introduction by the Tōyō Gekijō (Tōyō Kōgyō Keiei) troupe of the Asakusa Kōen Rokku red-light entertainment district.
However, after being told by Ōmiya "you can always come to our place if it doesn't work out there" he stopped at the last minute and went to nearby Tōyō Gekijō instead.
He started out as an apprentice.
At Tōyō Gekijō, he took direction from many veterans such as Shin-ichi Ike, Eiji Ishida, and Hachiro Azuma.
He was taken under the wing of their master and head of the Asakusa scene, Senzaburo Fukami (the master of Beat Takeshi
Takeshi Kitano
is a Japanese filmmaker, comedian, singer, actor, film editor, presenter, screenwriter, author, poet, painter, and one-time video game designer who has received critical acclaim, both in his native Japan and abroad, for his highly idiosyncratic cinematic work. The famed Japanese film critic...
, who later scolded Hagimoto for trying to conceal his beginnings in the Asakusa burlesque
Burlesque
Burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects...
scene after moving on to television).
After developing at Tōyō Gekijō, he moved to the affiliated Asakusa Furansu-Za, where he polished his act doing intermission skits.
It was there that he met comedian and later partner Rōru Andō (later known as Jirō Sakagami
Jirō Sakagami
was a Japanese comedian, actor, and singer.-Career:Sakagami was born in Kagoshima Prefecture but spent most of his childhood in Manchukuo. Winning an NHK song contest at age 19, he headed to Tokyo to try to make a name in the entertainment business, eventually training as a comedian at the Asakusa...
). At that time, however, they were more rivals than partners, competing to get laughs. His impression of Sakagami was "If I perform with him I'll get upstaged."
After this he left Tōyō Gekijō and went through some other troupes, then headlined the newly formed Gekidan Asakusa Shinkigeki at Asakusa Shochiku Engeijō.
During that time, he trained under broadcast writer Katsuo Hamaka and undertook the creation of true professional comedy.
At that time he also met Michio Iwashiro, who would later be responsible for most of the lines for the Hagimoto's Konto 55-gō act.
Also, through Hamaka's connections, he met TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
network producer Sōya Mukai and entertainment manager Ryōji Asai (head of Asai Kikaku), and began his career as a professional talent.
He appeared in a commercial for a comedy program that Mukai was handling called "Jintaka Panchi".
However it took him 22 filming takes, perhaps due to nerves, and he was compelled to quit.
The disappointed Hagimoto gave up on a television career and decided to focus on a stage career.
He broke up the Asakusa Shinkigeki, and started anew at the Atami Tsuruya Hotel.
There he came up with the solo skit "Tsukue", which would later be an early staple for Konto 55-gō which took Japan by storm.
During the time with Katsuo Hamaka, he was a friend of Shin-ichi Ichikawa, who would make his scriptwriting debut with the television series "Kaijū Būsuka".
He would later write for the Nippon Television
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
40th anniversary special drama "Goruden Boizu" ("Golden Boys") in which a young Hagimoto appeared (with Kazuki Kosakai).
Konto 55-gō
He formed the "Konto 55-gō" ("Skit #55") duo after an invitation from Jirō Sakagami in 1966, originally for a one-act contract (according to them, they had become a regular act without realizing it after renewing several times).They became a sensation appearing on the live program "Ohiru no goruden shō" with Takehiko Maeda on Fuji Television
Fuji Television
is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
(1968–71).
After this, they dominated television with programs such as "Konto 55-gō no Sekai Wa Warau" (Fuji TV), "Konto 55-gō no Urabangumi wo Buttobase!" and "Konto 55-gō no Nande Sou Naru No?" (NTV), "Chīmu 55-gō" and "Minna-de deyō! 55-gō ketteiban" (TBS), "Whoa! Konto 55-gō!!" and "Konto 55-gō!! Waratte tamaru ka!?" (NET TV, now Asahi TV).
They continued performing as a duo after that, but gradually started a solo career as well starting in 1975 as the star of the hit show "Pittashi Kan-Kan" (TBS) hosted by Hiroshi Kume.
Shichōritsu 100% Otoko (100% viewer rating man)
He appeared solo from 1972 on the Nippon Broadcasting radio program "Kinchan No Don To Itte Miyō!!".The program based mostly on letters from listeners rose in popularity, and debuted on television in 1975 on a Saturday night slot on Fuji Television.
At the same time he was hosting "Ōru sutā kazoku taikou utagassen" ("all-star family singing battle") (1972–1986, Hagimoto until June 1984) on the same network and "Sutā Tanjō!" (birth of a star) (Nippon Television), where he developed a style of interacting with the family of guests and amateur extras. This was expanded in shows such as "Kin Don!" which featured a cast of primarily amateurs called the "Kin Don Gekidan", and in features interacting with passersby while walking down streets on location, and mastered to perfection in later shows.
When given proposals for new shows, he often responded, "I can't emcee, so I want you to hire a girl who can emcee properly."
It is said that this was the beginning of the "assistant" role in shows.
Later in 1981 his series "Kin Don! Yoi Ko Warui Ko Futsū no Ko" (Fuji Television) began on Mondays at 9PM.
After continued high ratings in his next shows "Kinchan No Doko Made Yaru No!?" ("Kin doko") on Asahi in 1976 and "Kinchan no Shūkan Kin-yōbi" (TBS) in 1982, he picked up the nickname "100% Otoko", reflecting the sum of the ratings for the three shows.
The many celebrities whose careers were born on these shows became known as the "Kinchan Family".
Hagimoto is not only skilled at making ordinary performers into professional comedians, but also in drawing out the comedic side of celebrities.
Among those he developed into comedic starts includes Kiyoshi Maekawa (singer, previously a "cool" character actor), Hiroshi Uchiyama and Cool Five (mood ballad group), Rie Nakahara (young ballad singer), Junko Maya (formerly a stage actress), Masaru Shiga (villain actor).
However, though Hagimoto's popularity and fame rose through his programs, many stars were washed up in the process.
By appearing on his programs, many stars sacrificed their acting or musical careers.
Though their renewed popularity was mostly due to Hagimoto's talents, many became overconfident in their own abilities.
One example is Seiroku Saitō, who gained sudden fame appearing on "Kin Doko", but was rarely seen on television after that.
Aside from starring in and producing top rate variety programs,
he became the face of programs beginning with "Sutā Tanjō" (NTV) in 1971,
continuing with "Ōru stā Kazoku Taikō Utagassen" (Fuji) as host,
the still running "24-Jikan Terebi" ("24 Hour Television") (NTV) from 1978,
and also in radio on the "Rajio Charitī Myūjikkuson" ("Radio Charity Music-thon") (Nippon Hōsō) from 1975.
Hagimoto went on a six month "recharge" hiatus from all his regular programs starting in March 1985.
He stated that he didn't have the confidence to maintain the popularity of his "100% Otoko" level,
also commenting that he was tired of the ad lib style programs that were becoming popular at the time.
He reportedly never liked ad-lib, often begging partner Sakagami backstage to stick to the script.
However, in regards to requests from NTV director Takao Saito to follow the script he commented that "performers have pride as performers",
and was known to ad-lib on stage at times.
Regarding the hiatus he was also noted afterwards as saying that he felt down about the start of a downward trend in ratings.
Post-hiatus
After returning from hiatus, he returned to television but struggled with the failure of subsequent programs,and saw the surrender of his early 80's spot in the "Owarai Big 3" with Beat Takeshi and Tamori
Tamori
is a Japanese celebrity. His real name is and the screenname Tamori is an anagram of his surname. He was born on 22 August 1945 in Fukuoka City in Fukuoka Prefecture....
to Sanma Akashiya
Sanma Akashiya
is a Japanese TV comedian and actor simply known as Sanma. His real name is . His talent agency is Yoshimoto Corporation.Together with Beat Takeshi and Tamori, Sanma is said to be one of the "Big Three" tarento of Japan. Sanma's nickname is . He is known for his ability to endlessly carry a...
.
However, he still regularly appears on television such as on "Kinchan & Katori Shingo no Zen-Nihon Kasō Taishō
Kasou Taishou
Kasou Taishou is a semi-annual show on NTV in which various amateur groups perform short skits, which are rated by a panel of judges. Especially in recent years, many of the skits have revolved around clever methods of "faking" cinematic special effects on a live stage...
" ("Kinchan & Shingo Katori's All-Japan Costume Grand Prix"), and is still a household name.
He hosted the closing ceremonies of the Nagano Olympics in 1998.
Since 1980, he has been active organizing the "Kinchan Gekidan" with Kiyoshi Maegawa, performing on stage.
Kinchan baseball club
As a boy he loved baseball and was devoted to his high school team.Perhaps due to that and a lament for the recent decine in baseball's popularity in Japan, he aimed to show the fun of baseballby starting the Kantō
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
-based amateur baseball "Ibaraki Golden Golds" (based in Sakuragawa-mura, now Inashiki-shi, Ibaraki) of the Nippon Yakyū Renmei (Japanese Baseball Association) on December 26, 2004.
With an unprecedented collection of former professional players, comedians, and a female player he created the most popular amateur team ever.
This started a trend of clubs started by celebrities such as Kensaku Morita, Jōji Yamamoto, and Hiroshi Moriguchi,
and made a large contribution to the revival of baseball's popularity.
Within the team, rather than the usual "Hagimoto-kantoku" (Coach Hagimoto) he is called "Kintoku", and abbreviation of "Kinichi-kantoku".
During exhibition games, he is known to hold the mike and give running commentary on the game or encourage the players, drawing the crowd into the game.
In addition, he has formed a sister team, the Miyazaki
Miyazaki, Miyazaki
is the capital city of Miyazaki Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū in Japan. Located on the coast and perforated by several rivers, Miyazaki City enjoys scenic views of both ocean and nearby, verdant mountains...
Golden Golds.
Hokkaidō incident
On July 19, 2006, while on an exhibition road trip to HokkaidōHokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, team member and former comedic duo Gokuraku Tonbo member Kei-ichi Yamamoto was charged with sexual assault on a 17-year-old girl.
He was dismissed from his talent agency 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...
the same day.
The morning after this rapid succession of events, appearing before a group of reporters with teary eyes, Hagimoto announced, "With something of this magnitude, it's not just a matter of punishing Yamamoto. I'm the one who started this team in the first place...I love baseball, but I've decided to break it up. I'm sorry."
He had told the amateur baseball federation of his intention to break up the team a full eight hours before his public announcement.
Reportedly Yamamoto called to apologize the next day after the incident, but Hagimoto responded, "I don't want to hear about it! Hang up now!"
The announcement caused waves, with local residents circulating a petition to continue the team and media surveys also showing widespread support for continuing.
On the field before a game with Sega Sammy in Niigata Prefecture
Niigata Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :...
on July 22, he reversed his decision to breakup the team.
Though there was strong support for him from the media and public opinion, he took some criticism from some athletes for breaking up the team based on his own feelings then just as whimsically retreating on his statement due to the public reaction without properly considering the feelings of the players who had no involvement with the incident.
Also, his leadership skills were questioned since he did not take personal responsibility as mananger.
Furthermore, there was no apology for the fact that other players were involved in the incident.
In addition, at the time of the breakup announcement in front of cameras when asked if he had a message for Yamamoto he coldly replied, "now the team is gone!", but when repealing the announcement he suddenly changed his tone, saying, "why you don't come out one night when there're no fans wearing a uniform with no number and hang out with us just as Yamamoto".
In an interview with the show "Waido! Sukuranburu" ("Wide! Scramble") he mentioned the possibility of Yamamoto returning at first as a ball boy
Ball Boy
Ball Boy is a comic strip in the UK comic The Beano and also the name of the main character. It first appeared in issue 1735, dated 18 October 1975. It features a five-a-side football team that includes:* Ball Boy - the captain of the team, Ball Boy bears resemblances to The Dandy's Owen Goal...
with the uniform number 0.
However, he also made large roster changes to the team and commented other times that there was no possibility of Yamamoto's return, causing uncertainty surrounding the team.
In January 2007 Yamamoto appeared at a public team workout and apologized in person to Hagimoto, with shouts of encouragement from watching fans.
However, Hagimoto made comments to the effect that he had still not forgiven Yamamoto.
Meeting with Chaplin
In 1971 Hagimoto met with Charlie ChaplinCharlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
, who was living in seclusion in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
at the time, for a Fuji Television production.
It all started when Hagimoto mentioned Chaplin as a comedian he respected.
Actually, Hagimoto only mentioned his name because "he is the most famous comedian on earth", while only having seen Chaplin's movies a couple of times.
At the time, it was said that Chaplin would not meet anyone, and the production staff was uncertain whether it would actually happen, but a confident Hagimoto set off for Switzerland.
Hagimoto was given 4-days.
On the first day, as feared he was told by carers that Chaplin was not available.
The next day, they were able to see Chaplin in his car as he returned home, but were not allowed on his property.
They were advised by Toraichi Kouno, a former driver for Chaplin, that "if there was a woman he would probably meet with you" and "he likes Japanese".
Hagimoto brought a Hakata doll as gift to the house and was told by Chaplin's manager that they would take the gift, but only tell Chaplin of the visitor from Japan.
On the last day, Hagimoto persisted by trying to explain that he just came to express his respect for the man, but was refused by the manager again.
An angry and frustrated Hagimoto started yelling in Japanese, "That movie (full of humanism) is just a lie!"
Chaplin, who overheard the commotion, came out to see what was happening, and warmly greeted him.
According to Hagimoto, the manager explained that various extortionists constantly visit the house so he refused unsolicited visitors access to Chaplin.
After the visit Hagimoto has had a deep respect for Chaplin, and has even watched all his works.
In December 1977 during the Nippon Broadcasting "Rajio Charitī Myūjikkuson" news of Chaplin's death was reported by Hagimoto, who spontaneously started crying.
Wedding reports and family
Around the time he became a star while doing "Kin Don!" Hagimoto announced his marriage, but withheld his bride's name and asked the press to respect their privacy.This was because she was a show dancer he knew during his humble early days in the Asakusa burlesque scene.
According to his autobiography, he encountered no resistance from the press to his request, even receiving applause from the reporters at the time of the announcement, who were already aware of her background.
Also, he has three children with her, who were not introduced to the press for some time since they led private lives.
In his 2007 autobiography he finally introduced their names publicly.
Other
- He is listed as a top-ten owner in the television production giant "TV MAN UNION". As the first independent Japanese production company, Hagimoto supported it with an investment.
- Aside from baseball, he was active as a race horse owner, including Ogura Memorial winner Anburasumoa (Hagimoto Kikaku), Biyorurinku, and an entry into the 1977 Nihon Derby.
- He is a fan of shogiShogi, also known as Japanese chess, is a two-player board game in the same family as Western chess, chaturanga, and Chinese Xiangqi, and is the most popular of a family of chess variants native to Japan...
, and officially ranked by the Nihon Shōgi Renmei (Japan Shōgi Association). On a 2006 New Year's program he teamed with 9th dan pro Toshiyuki Moriuchi to win a doubles match. - When someone comes asking for an apprenticeship, he takes them to eat. This is to observe how they hold their chopsticks. He explained, "The ability to hold chopsticks properly is proof that they were able to accept their parent's disciplining, which is a necessary attitude for development".
- He doesn't like ice cream. Apparently he worked at a cafe as a youngster, and was forced to eat the remaining unsold ice cream, and hasn't been interested in it since.
- He wrote in his book "I hate miniskirts". He is known to request female cast members on his shows to avoid wearing miniskirts.
- On "24-Jikan Terebi 'Ai wa Chikyū wo Sukū" broadcasted on August 18–19, 2007, he participated as the charity marathon runner.
Considering his age of 66 years, he chose a distance of 70 km (rather than the usual 100 km) which was considered to be possible in 24 hours even if walked.
He still had 900m remaining when time ran out in the broadcast at 20:52:30, but his finish was shown in the next time slot ("Gyōretsu no Dekiru Hōritsu Sōdansho"). Viewer ratings peaked at 42.9% at the finishing moment, with an average of 35%. Always liking to stick to the script, he was disappointed at failing to finish inside the scheduled program time.
Influence
His influence on the entertainment and broadcast worlds can still be felt, with stars who started under him such as Tsutomu Sekine, Kazuki Kosakai, Emi Hashino, Toshirō Yanagiba, and Kunikazu Katsumata still appearing on television, radio, and stage, along with scriptwriters like Ryouichi Kimizuka and Shousuke Ōiwa.He also helped the then unknown Dauntaun
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...
("Downtown") comedic duo by giving them appearances on his shows.
Though of completely opposite style, they felt a huge obligation to him, with Dauntauns Hamada
Hamada
A hamada is a type of desert landscape consisting of largely barren, hard, rocky plateaus, with very little sand. A hamada may sometimes also be called a reg , though this more properly refers to a stony plain rather than a highland.Hamadas exist in contrast to ergs, which are large areas of...
once telling the staff of a radio program "get rid of the Hagimoto insults" when handed a script that included jokes about Hagimoto.
Dauntauns Matsumoto
Matsumoto
Matsumoto is the 16th most common Japanese surname and the name of a city in Nagano Prefecture.-People:* Chizuo Matsumoto, a.k.a...
recalled his appreciation for him in a book that looking back at the early times when the "Taishō" gave Dauntaun freedom to decide on the content of their act (while keeping a short leash on others).
Around that time he was thrilled to discover the "once in a decade" talents of Jimi Ōnishi.
However, after meeting with him in the dressing room, he dejectedly commented "[the act] was all just 'tennen' (natural)" (mindless foolishness rather than calculated comedic genius).
This is said to be the origin of the term "tennen boke" ("natural fool").
The game "yakyūken" in which the players play "jan ken pon" (rock-paper-scissors
Rock-paper-scissors
Rock-paper-scissors is a hand game played by two people. The game is also known as roshambo, or another ordering of the three items ....
) while dancing to music and the loser takes off a piece of clothing, became well known after appearing on "Urabangumi wo buttobase!".
However, Hagimoto apparently hated it at the time.
One reason was its dirtiness, and also the fact that comedic talents of the performers took a backseat to the game itself.
It was said that he felt that comedy culture was degradating due to these acts.
However, he took part in a game in 2005 at the birthplace of yakyūken, Matsuyama (where originally clothing was not removed).
The "atchi muite hoi" extension of "jan ken pon" is said to have spread nationwide only after its use in Kinchan's spot on "Sutā Tanjō!".
Countless other jokes and material are said to have originated from his programs like "Kin Don!", "Yoi Ko, Warui Ko, Futsū no Ko", and "Kinchan Gekidan".
Television (programs he headlined)
- Sutā tanjō! (1971–1980, host, NTV)
- Shīkuretto butai (1972, TBS)
- Nihon ichi no okāsan (1972–1976, host, TBS)
- Ōru sutā kazoku taikō utagassen (1972–1984, host, Fuji)
- Shabon tamabonbon (1973, NTV)
- Kinchan no don! to yatte miyō (1975-1980 (Saturdays), 1981-1986 (Mondays), Fuji)
- Kinchan no doko made yaru no!? (1976–1986, TV Asahi)
- 24-jikan terebi "ai wa chikyū wo sukū" (1978-1984 as star, 1986-1989 as cast member, 2007 as 70 km marathon runner, NTV)
- Kinchan dorama - OH! kaidan kazoku!! (1979, NTV)
- Kinchan gekijō - torikaji ippa-i (1979, NTV)
- Kinchan & Katori Shingo no zen-nihon kasou taishō (1979, NTV)
- Kinchan no 9-ji terebi (1980–1981, Fuji)
- Kinchan no shūkan Kin-yōbi (1982–1985, TBS)
- Tamichan (dorama, 1984, TV Asahi)
- Nichiyōbi ku-ji wa asobi-za desu (NTV)
- TV purēbakku (1985–1989, host, Fuji)
- Dokido Kin-chan supirittsu (1986, TBS)
- Kin-chan no kiraku ni rin (1988, NTV)
- Kin-kira rin 530! (1988, NTV)
- Kin-chan no doko made warau no?! -> Kin doko TV!! (1988, TV Asahi)
- Kin-chan hashiru! (1991, Fuji)
- Yo! taishō mikke (1994–1995, Fuji)
- Renzoku terebi shōsetsu himawari (1996 NHK) narrator/voice of Minamita family dog "Riki"
- Kin-chan to minna-de shabette waratte (1998–2002, NHK)
Radio
- Dochira-sama mo Kin-chan desu (1971–1972, Nippon Hōsō)
- Kin-chan no don to itte miyō (1972–1979, Nippon Hōsō)
- Rajio charitī myūjikkuson (as a personality 1975-1985, Nippon Hōsō networks)
- Kinchan no koko kara tokoton (1979–1980, Nippon Hōsō)
- Nyūsu waido Kin-chan no moppara no hyōban (1987–1988, Nippon Hōsō)
Film
- Te (1969)
- Ore wa nemutakatta!! (1970 Shōchiku)
- Dai 1-kai Kin-chan no shinemajakku (1993)
- Dai 2-kai Kin-chan no shinemajakku (1994)
- Tatchi (2005)
- Woresu to gurumitto yasai hatake de dai pinchi! (voice actor 2006)
Games
- Jikkyō powerful pro yakyū 12 (Accompanied with the Golden Golds)
Authored works
- Kin-chan tsunnomeri
- Kin-chan no ha nikami ningengaku - dōshite ore-tte baka nan-darō
- Kin-chan doko made kaku no
- Kin-chan no ai no sekai 45 - ichi-nichi ichigo de shiawase-zukuri
- Totte oki jū-wa
- Terebi ni koi shite 20-nen
- "Warai" hodo suteki-na shōbai wa nai
- Mada un wa aru ka
- Kaiwajutsu—dare to demo kokoro ga kayō nihongo no shaberikata
- Kin-chan no jinsei konto da yo!!
- Jinsei ni wa chansu ga san-do aru—seikō suru hito no enshutsuryoku
- Yūmoa de ikou!
- Nande soo naru no! --hagimoto kinichi ichi jiden
- Kin genryoku
"Pajama-Tō"
The "Pajama-Tō" is the writing team behind some of Kinichi Hagimoto's hit programs like "Kin don!".Within the team the trio of Tsuruma, Ōkura, and Kimizuka are known as the "Sarada-Tō".
Hagimoto himself also contributed under the pen name "Fusashi Aki".
- Shousuke Ōiwa
- Toshiharu Ōkura
- Jun Nagai
- Hiroshi Shimura
- Shunji Suzuki
- Masayuki Tsuruma
- Tsuyoshi Masuko
- Ryōichi Kimizuka (later worked on scripts for "zutto anata ga suki datta" and "odoru daisousasen")