Book Review: "I Started M-1" by Mr.Ryoichi Tani

◆Book Review: "I Started M-1" by Mr.Ryoichi Tani

Though Mr.Ryoichi Tani’s book was published last year, I wanted to share my review of it again.

It’s that time of year again for the M-1 Grand Prix—the ultimate stand-up comedy (manzai) competition. This year, an astonishing 8,540 duos entered, all vying for a spot in the finals on Christmas Eve. The grueling knockout process spans from August through the semi-finals until only 10 duos remain to compete for the championship. Launched in 2001, this marks the 19th tournament (following a four-year hiatus). It is a spectacular cultural invention of 21st-century Japan.

This book is a documentary chronicle of how M-1 was built from scratch by Tani, a former director at Yoshimoto Kogyo. I am incredibly jealous that he got to be a part of such a project. M-1 isn't just a TV show or a yearly event; it is cultural infrastructure. It turned manzai into a cutting-edge art form and created a pinnacle platform for aspiring young comedians nationwide.

What began 22 years ago as a single project has evolved into a historic cultural phenomenon. At the time, manzai was widely considered a dead medium, with the previous boom having fizzled out in just a few years. Yet today, "M-1" is a household name, and comedians dominate Japanese television. It is a monumental achievement by everyone involved.

Manzai is a remarkably primitive form of entertainment: just two people, a single vintage Type-38 microphone, and an original script. Yet, it can make millions of people roar with laughter. While stand-up and sketch comedy exist in the West and China, Japan has refined the two-person dialogue into a highly sophisticated, lightning-fast art form.

M-1 gives comedy duos just four minutes to showcase their meticulously crafted routines. Most of the 8,540 competing groups (who must be within their first 15 years of formation) struggle to make a living, grinding away at part-time jobs. But winning—or even just making the finals—changes their lives overnight. It is a stoic, high-stakes battlefield.

In the past, young creative geniuses poured their souls into writing novels, staging plays, filming indie movies, or screaming over guitars. Today, that top tier of raw creative talent is flocking to manzai. You don't need instruments, cameras, or computers. All you need is a microphone and two bodies to move an audience. It’s incredibly cool.

Comedians used to be viewed as the underclass of show business, but M-1 elevated them to cultural icons. Those who were once laughed at are now admired. Many were troubled kids with nowhere else to fit in—though recently, we are seeing a massive influx of highly educated competitors as well. Background, lineage, and IQ don't matter on the M-1 stage; the only metric is whether you are funny.

The book also serves as a masterclass in project management. This isn’t the clean, intellectual theory you learn in business school; it’s a gritty, real-world story of how pure legwork, sweat, and relentless persuasion get things done. On the cover, legendary comedian Shinsuke Shimada notes: "M-1 is a treasure that Tani and I built together... Tani took my rough proposal and brought it to life entirely on his own."

They started by interviewing comedians one by one, clashing with TV executives, pitching to sponsors, and even appealing to local shopping districts when funding was tight. They simply refused to give up. Twenty years later, it is a magnificent cultural monument. It’s a classic sign of a successful project when old detractors step forward today to claim credit for its success.

As a massive comedy fan, I go to live shows constantly and have been lucky enough to secure finals tickets through my work with Yoshimoto. This book beautifully captures the backstage tension. I’ve personally wept seeing top-tier artists pacing the corridors of TV Asahi, frantically practicing their lines against a wall right before going live. I have the utmost respect for these performers as artists, and for the visionaries who built this stage for them.

The book highlights the raw, edgy atmosphere of the very first tournament—something television broadcasts can never fully capture. A pivotal moment occurred when Shinsuke Shimada broke agency rivalries to praise the duo American Crayfish (from Shochiku Geino), establishing M-1 as a fair, merit-based battlefield.

Every champion—from the Nakagawa Family to Football Hour, Black Mayonnaise, Tutorial, and Chidori—has a unique story. They chose this battlefield and shaped the entertainment landscape for the next two decades.

Ultimately, this book is a first-class treatise on manzai. Tani traces the evolution of the craft, naming historic reformers like Entatsu & Achako all the way down to Downtown and Warai Meshi. Today’s comedians don't rely on broadcast writers; they are singer-songwriters of comedy who rise purely on their own material. This keeps the medium evolving, preventing it from becoming a rigid, formulaic classic art like rakugo.

Yet, Tani notes a heartwarming truth: comedy isn't truly funny unless the duo genuinely likes each other, which explains the unique strength of real-life brothers like the Nakagawa Family.

I want modern students to study manzai to build real-world communication skills, especially in our hyper-digital era. That’s why, as chairman of the Kyoto International Film Festival, I host the "President's Recommended Stand-up Comedy" showcase for students. We’ve featured incredible, avant-garde lineups like Dr. Heinrich, Kinzoku Bat, and Tensai Pianist. I want to keep doing this every year.

What about me? I still have plenty to learn. My next bucket-list goal is to actually enter M-1 and make it past the first round. I might just have to ask Mr. Tani to coach me.

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Cool Japan: Extreme Modifications

Cool Japan: Extreme Modifications

This episode of NHK's Cool Japan focused on "Extreme Modifications" (Makaizo).

The term originally comes from the world of plastic scale models, but it represents an explosion of creativity where people take an existing object, alter it drastically to create something entirely new, and add value that surpasses the original. This trend is taking off across various fields, and extreme modification videos are going viral overseas.

■Cooking

Anime and games originally came from abroad, but Japan heavily modified them, transformed them into unique cultural expressions, and re-exported them. This is a classic example of "Cool Japan," and the same logic applies to food.

Western food, localized Chinese dishes, and Japanese curry are all, in a sense, extreme modifications. This thrives in Japan because of the sheer abundance of culinary variety (Japanese, Western, Chinese) and an open-minded market that eagerly embraces and commercializes new ideas. Most importantly, even after a radical transformation, the food still tastes amazing. The current trend of extreme food modification is driven by a pure pursuit of new culinary experiences.

■Mini 4WD Models

Over 180 million Mini 4WD cars have been sold since their debut in the 1980s—that's more than one car per person in Japan. I used to do plenty of extreme modifications on these with my sons. It beautifully combines the mechanical joy of tuning for speed with the artistic outlet of creating a sleek, cool design.

Like model railroading, it's a world loved by children and adults alike. Japan has a very loose cultural boundary between childhood and adulthood; adults openly enjoy manga and video games, creating a massive market for high-end toys. This shared passion for modifying mechanics together feels uniquely Japanese.

■Creepy-Cute (Kimo-Kawaii)

The concept of blending a negative emotion ("creepy") with a positive one ("cute") into a single aesthetic is rare globally. When pushed to the extreme through modification, it often takes on a humanoid form. Because Japan doesn't have rigid religious constraints regarding the creation of living things, it provides the perfect cultural incubator for this kind of radical expression.

■A Culture Built on Destruction

The Shikinen Sengu ritual at Ise Grand Shrine involves completely dismantling and rebuilding the shrine structures every 20 years. This tradition has been repeated for 1,300 years. It convinces me that the cycle of "destroying to rebuild" is fundamental to Japanese culture.

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iU President Gachon:Mr.Nelson Yamaguchi

◆iU President Gachon:Mr.Nelson Yamaguchi

Born in Malaysia, Mr.Nelson Yamaguchi grew up in poverty before coming to Japan. After studying at Hokkaido University and Osaka University, he became an obstetrician and gynecologist. Today, he runs his own clinic.

His is truly an extraordinary story.

■Childhood Dream

"I grew up in a very poor family. My parents never had the opportunity to receive an education, and they couldn't even read or write. They had no choice but to work in physically demanding jobs

As a child, my dream was simply to graduate from high school. I also wanted to become an office worker. Watching my parents struggle made me realize how difficult life can be without an education."

■Why Japan?

"I came to Japan when I was eighteen.

As a child, I constantly saw unfamiliar words around me—Suzuki, Honda, Toyota, Toshiba. They weren't written in English, Chinese, or Malay. Curious, I asked my teacher what language they were.

'Japanese,' my teacher replied.

I was amazed that products from Japan were found all over the world. I imagined Japan to be a huge and wealthy country.

Later, when I looked at a map in junior high school, I was surprised to discover that Japan was actually a small island nation. I couldn't understand how such a small country had become one of the world's leading exporters. That question sparked my fascination with Japan.

Then I watched the television drama Oshin. I was deeply moved. I had never imagined Japan had once gone through such severe poverty. That only strengthened my admiration for the country.

After World War II, Japan was impoverished. Around the same time, Malaysia was still a British colony, enjoying access to Western technology and culture, while our abundant natural resources made us wealthier than Japan.

Yet within only thirty or forty years, Japan had overtaken Malaysia.

I found that incredible.

I wanted to become like the Japanese."

■Pursuing Medicine

"At first, I gave up on the idea of becoming a doctor.

I was attending Japanese language school while working part-time, and medical school seemed completely out of reach.

Still, I was fascinated by medicine, so I entered pharmacy school and became a licensed pharmacist.

But eventually I asked myself, 'Can I really abandon my dream of becoming a doctor?'

The regret grew stronger.

I knew that if I didn't challenge myself, I would regret it for the rest of my life.

So I applied to medical school.

Today, I practice obstetrics and gynecology in Osaka.

Originally, I thought becoming a doctor would simply be impossible. In Malaysia, studying medicine almost always required going abroad, something my family could never afford. That's why I had settled for the more realistic goal of becoming an office worker."

■Why I'm Glad I Came to Japan

"Obstetrics is an extremely demanding profession, but its challenges are often misunderstood.

I was particularly frustrated by the media's use of the phrase 'ambulances being turned away,' which unfairly suggested that hospitals simply refused patients.

To raise awareness, I even ran for the House of Councillors in Osaka. During my campaign speeches, I spoke passionately about the realities of emergency medical care.

Although I lost the election, my message reached the media.

Eventually, many news organizations stopped using the misleading phrase 'ambulances being turned away' and instead described the situation more accurately as 'hospitals unable to accept emergency patients.'

Something else remarkable happened.

One person who heard my speech was so inspired that they encouraged me to open my own clinic, offering me a location and financial support.

Japan is a country where, if you devote yourself wholeheartedly, your dreams really can come true.

That's why I named my clinic Kisaki Clinic—a place where hope can blossom."

■A Speech That Changed Someone's Life

"After one of my speeches, a man in his thirties came up and asked to shake my hand.

He told me that he had been living an ordinary salaryman's life without any dreams or ambitions.

Hearing how I had come to Japan without money, unable to speak Japanese, yet still managed to become a doctor and build my own clinic made him realize that he couldn't keep making excuses.

Those words meant a great deal to me."

■A Message to Students

"Have the courage to take risks.

Fail often.

Experience setbacks.

Japan is a materially wealthy country, and because life is comfortable, many people become afraid of failure. As a result, they never take the first step.

Failure is painful.

But failure becomes the foundation for your next stage of growth.

Without failure or setbacks, there is no change.

And without change, there is no growth."

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Cool Japan: Game 2

■Cool Japan: Game 2

NHK Cool Japan: "Games" Part 2.

It used to be considered a Japanese specialty, but some people might think that's not the case anymore...but that's completely wrong!

Thanks to people staying home because of the coronavirus, the entire gaming industry, including Japanese game manufacturers, has seen increased sales over the past two years, with some companies even recording their highest sales figures ever .

"Video games"

40 years since home video games were first introduced in Japan .

It originally developed by incorporating American technology.

Even after all this time has passed, and games can now be made in any country in the world, people still say that "Japanese games are unique."

Raising simulation games, otome games, train-themed games.

Japan's strength lies in continuously creating things that are unique and unlike anything else.

Starting with egg-like devices that allow you to raise characters, the art of raising fictional things became a uniquely Japanese pastime.

And fitness games are successful because they target adults.

To create things that both children and adults can enjoy.

A characteristic of Japan that is also found in anime and manga.

I believe that its uniqueness and strengths are actually still very much alive.

"The Game of Life"

A classic example of Cool Japan: American-born games that evolved in Japan.

At first, some people thought that a game involving money was vulgar, but it has now become a firmly established and enjoyable activity for families.

One of its features is that the contents of the spinning tops change every year, but another key point is that "many parts remain the same."

For example, instead of dice, they used roulette, which was new at the time, or a three-dimensional game board shaped like a car. The currency was still dollars.

Even adults playing it today will find it nostalgic and think, " Oh yeah, I remember that !"

reason this game has lasted 50 years is because it strikes the perfect balance between new and old elements .

"Game music"

Game music has now become a genre in itself, on par with anime songs.

Music genres have evolved alongside the advancement of digital technology.

It's amazing to think that two genres of music known by adults and children all over the world are Hollywood movie soundtracks and Japanese video game music.

This is because composers of the past never cut corners, even when creating music for children; rather, they poured in the country's finest talent and deepest affection to create a unique world.

I believe that their growth to the point where they hold concerts all over the world is the result of considerable effort, investment, and accumulated experience.

 

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iU President Gachon:Mrs. Toko Shirakawa

■iU President Gachon:Mrs. Toko Shirakawa

Behind the marriage-hunting and fertility- focused trends . A journalist and professor at a women's university.

Actually, she's a long-time friend of mine.

https://bit.ly/3vvFFrB

◆What about Japan?

Japan is a country that is slow to change. It ranks 120th in the Gender Gap Index.

There are good points too. It's a content-producing country. A country with a declining birthrate can become a major producer of moe content. Good content can be produced. However, even that is being taken over by China and South Korea.

Working conditions are also a contributing factor. For example, in South Korean productions, interval regulations are in place to prevent workers from becoming too exhausted. In Japan, however, long working hours, power harassment, and low wages persist. When the workplace becomes exhausted, young people leave. Japan is lagging behind in creating an environment where working conditions are improved and good content can be produced.

◆When I was a student

I was just playing around. I wish I had studied more.

Fragments of what you learned in university can prove useful later on. Assignments make you want to learn more. However, there are many things you don't realize during your student years.

◆Learning and Retraining

My university days weren't a one-time thing. I earned my MBA last year.

I realized the importance of learning systematically as an academic discipline. For example, work style reform is a management strategy, so I listen carefully to what business leaders have to say. They share a lot of information based on their experience, and the more I listen, the more I want to learn.

The best environment is one where you have both people with practical experience and academic expertise. It's beneficial for students to learn while working on projects with adults in society, as this allows them to gain such insights quickly.

◆A message for you

Life doesn't always go as planned; many unexpected things happen. We live in unpredictable times. It's best not to believe someone's words like, "If you go this way, this is what will happen."

We can offer the best advice we can based on what we know at this point. Unpredictable things like pandemics happen. Don't plan too rigidly so you don't panic when that happens. You'll panic when things don't go according to plan. It's good to have a plan in place so you can start from where you left off if something happens.

When a good wave of chance comes along, ride it. Look forward.

Read some science fiction. If you read SF, you'll realize that you've seen something like this pandemic before. Knowing about different worlds is key to staying calm.

★Postscript

I met Momoko nearly 20 years ago. She was the same age as me, a refined lady working for a trading company, then became an otaku journalist, and achieved great success by launching a "marriage-seeking" campaign. I accompanied her to events like Japan Expo in Paris, and she taught me a lot. She also provides invaluable support as a visiting professor at iU .

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Cool Japan: Urban Development

■Cool Japan: Urban Development

NHK Cool Japan: The "Community Development" episode.

A town where everyone can continue to live – that's not something that's simply there; it's something that's built up through the accumulated will and culture of the people who live there .

These kinds of Japanese towns are now being featured in many posts on social media and are receiving high praise from foreigners.

"Underground power lines, aging infrastructure"

Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Tsukiji, Hamamatsucho—Tokyo is a super-metropolis where many towns and cities converge.

Redevelopment is currently underway in various cities.

It is also a rare city that has been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt since the Edo period due to major fires, earthquakes, and air raids .

hastily rebuilt for the 1964 Olympics , and half a century has passed since then, so it's time for maintenance and rebuilding again.

Furthermore, in recent years, a formidable challenge has emerged: torrential downpours caused by global warming. This necessitates new countermeasures such as underground rainwater harvesting tanks.

Maintenance used to be done with hammers, but from now on, we'll be rebuilding things using new technologies like IT, drones, and AI.

"Toshima Ward Disaster Prevention Park"

Japan is characterized by its high level of safety and security, but with the increasing frequency of natural disasters, awareness of disaster prevention is rising even further.

Creating a "city where people can continue to live" requires a balance between safety and security and the economy. It's important to have a cycle where people gather, the economy thrives, money is invested in disaster prevention to ensure safety, and then people gather again.

Urban development centered around disaster prevention parks could serve as a model.

"Making high schools more attractive"

High schools tend to have a stronger local focus than universities.

High schools represent their communities in sports such as baseball, soccer, and brass band competitions.

And they are more mature than middle school students, and they are able to initiate things themselves.

This program has previously covered the fact that Japanese schools have many unique and thriving extracurricular activities.

Younger generations are now showing more interest in social issues than in economic issues.

Using that power would be very effective in solving local problems and revitalizing the community. It seems likely to spread.

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iU President Gachon: Mr.Tetsuya Yasukochi

■iU President Gachon: Mr.Tetsuya Yasukochi

A charismatic English teacher. He's also an entrepreneur and a bestselling author. And a visiting professor at iU . This is the kind of teacher you want to learn English from!

the age of AI

iU teaches business presentations. In many businesses, reading and writing have already been replaced by AI. At iU , we teach English that will capture, persuade, provoke, and move people when you go out into the world for business.

Japanese English learners are diligently studying only the parts that will be replaced by AI. They are not doing what humans need to do. At iU , we will focus on the skills that will not be replaced by AI when you enter society in 10 years.

◆ An impactful self-introduction

Practice making an impactful self-introduction or speech that people will remember. I'd like to make it a graduation requirement at iU . You need to be able to speak English to a certain extent in order to effectively convey your strengths. Be able to deliver a full speech and give a compelling self-introduction.

◆ Reasons for continuing to learn English

During my student days, I spent all my time mountain climbing. I enjoyed studying English for my entrance exams, so I majored in English. I got a job during the bubble economy. I disliked the typical job hunting process, so I became a part-time lecturer at a cram school. In my late twenties, I started my own company. I began writing. I established a foundation. I moved into the field of English education.

◆The fun things about English

I enjoy communicating with people in a foreign language. It's not necessarily the English I learned for university entrance exams that I find enjoyable; rather, it's the ability to communicate with people after learning the language that I find truly enjoyable. I love talking to people from all over the world.

◆Starting a business

A one-person agency where I produce myself and then send myself out to work.

When I talk to students, they seem to think that it's not entrepreneurship unless it's something big. But entrepreneurship is simply about deciding to do something starting today. It's about not joining the framework of a large company, but starting something on your own. It's about starting a business.

◆Show your face and make your point

They should show their faces and express their opinions. They should produce themselves and market themselves to the world. It would be good if all iU students had YouTube channels and shared their thoughts and feelings with their faces shown.

◆ You have the freedom to fail.

Students are young. No matter how many mistakes they make, in 10 years no one will remember. They have the freedom to make mistakes. When they make a mistake, they can learn from it and avoid making the same mistake again. Humans do n't learn until they make mistakes themselves . The number of mistakes equals the number of things they can do.

◆ Failure experience

I've written a lot of books. I've sold around 5 million copies in total. Of those, only about 20 out of 100 are selling well. The remaining 80 don't even sell their first print run.

When we find someone who has been successful, we only see the parts that went well. But they 've probably failed about eight times as much.

◆Student days

During my university years, I spent a year studying for entrance exams before moving to Tokyo. All the classes were in English, and I grew to hate English. I avoided English for about a year and a half. I thought that things would work out if I went to America, so I wandered around there for about two and a half months. There, I realized that I wouldn't become fluent in English just by being in America. Just being there was like changing locations. It gave me the impetus to realize that I had to study English.

I used to think of English as synonymous with America, but when I went there, I saw people from all sorts of countries and regions communicating in broken English. I thought, "This is fine!" When I returned to university, I gained the courage to speak broken English in front of my fluent classmates, and that's how I became able to speak English.

Just speak in front of people in your own English. If you make a mistake, just correct it. Don't study and then speak.

◆ Discomfort at school

In our time, middle and high school were organizations designed to help us adapt to group living. I hated that kind of thing.

Once I entered university, I was free to do as I pleased. However, I couldn't keep up with the pressure to act like everyone else during job hunting.

I wanted to teach, so I entered a job that involves developing people.

◆Challenges in Japanese schools

Individualized optimization is highly advanced in each country. Despite the existence of diverse children specializing in sports, musical instruments, programming, English, etc., they all use the same mark sheet and are expected to achieve the same score. In the future, individualized optimization tailored to each child will be necessary.

◆ Become a team

A team where someone good at presentations takes on sales challenges, someone who can speak English aggressively pursues deals, and someone with programming skills provides backup—that kind of teamwork. It would be great if they could build networks with each other within iU .

◆A message for you

iU is a place where students who question the trends of the world gather. When you want to start a life where you pursue what you truly want to do, iU is an option. Let's study together!

★Postscript

I like the story of how he got back into English after hating it. Mr. Yasukochi looks cool and inspiring riding his Honda Monkey motorcycle. Riding a Monkey. I've been dreaming of it since I was a student , but I still haven't been able to do it. It's my homework.

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