How Japanese Comedians Write, Revise, and Test Their Material

How does an idea become a routine?

Japanese comedians can build routines from a partner's personality, a newspaper story, or exchanges with a writer. In interviews, performers describe presenting material for criticism, revising it, and testing it before an audience. Feedback from other comedians and the response from the room can point in different directions.

Where do the ideas come from?

In an interview, one comedian described the difficulty of writing for a partner met online: the two did not yet know each other well enough to see what kind of act would suit them. The comedian asked the partner to list ten personality traits as a starting point for their routines, offering examples such as being withdrawn, unsociable, and easily nervous. The partner's first entry was “sensitive teeth.”

Another comedian, in a separate interview, recalled noticing a tiny newspaper item about a women's baseball league championship. Wondering why a women's championship received so little space became the starting point for a routine performed at an agency show.

Who does the writing?

In an interview, Hamabe no Wolf described trying something new for a solo show: performing material written by other people. During preparations, a writer sent routines to a group chat. The flow of funny material pushed Hamabe no Wolf to work harder, producing several routines in a week—more than the performer would normally write.

In a separate interview, another performer recalled a division of labor within a three-person act. The group chose a single premise, and everyone contributed comic ideas. The interviewee then put those ideas together.

What happens when a routine gets criticism?

In an interview, a performer described repeatedly presenting routines and receiving criticism. Each round led to more thinking and revision before the material was shown again. The act then tried routines in front of an audience and continued with those that drew a good response.

Schools also make room for presenting material. According to the admissions FAQ of NSC, Yoshimoto's comedy school, presentations of routines account for 40 percent of classes. The FAQ does not specify who evaluates those routines or how.

Ohta Pro Entertainment College, the talent agency Ohta Production's training school, gives more detail in its 2027 admissions information. It describes a routine presentation at the end of every class, with direct instruction to help improve the material. Its advanced classes also assign weekly homework: students spend a week developing it, then present it at the next class.

What if the audience and other comedians disagree?

In an interview, one comedian recalled debuting a routine at an agency show in Osaka. The interviewee described shows organized into three levels, with the act appearing in the lowest tier. The performer felt confident about the new material, but the audience barely laughed and the voting results were disappointing.

Backstage, respected senior comedians and other performers praised the routine. Looking back, the interviewee described that encouragement as the deciding factor.

How does a competition affect the material?

The 2026 entry rules for M-1 Grand Prix, a Japanese comedy competition, set different performance limits by round: two minutes in the first round, three minutes in the second and third rounds, and four minutes in the quarterfinals, semifinals, second-chance round, and final.

In the same interview, Hamabe no Wolf recalled developing material for an earlier solo show with competitions in mind. For the upcoming show discussed in that interview, the aim was to perform material that was not geared toward competitions. The performer also questioned self-imposed restrictions, such as leaving out elements that might be awkward on television or ill-suited to a contest.

What to notice in the next video

As you watch, consider how the delivery fits the performer's personality and which moments draw a response from the audience.

Start here The Boyfriend Sales Pitch A hopeful dater sweetens the pitch with every no. The friend listening won't budge. 3:36 Watch the whole thing (3:36)

We use AI as part of how we create our articles.

Subtitles on this video: AI translation from the Japanese.