Hōsei Tsukitei | |
---|---|
Birth name | Hōsei Yamasaki |
Born |
Nishinomiya, Japan |
February 15, 1968
Medium |
Owarai Television |
Nationality | Japanese |
Years active | 1988 – Present |
Genres |
Rakugo Owarai |
Hōsei Tsukitei (月亭 方正 Tsukitei Hōsei?), formerly known as Hōsei Yamasaki (山崎 邦正 Yamasaki Hōsei?) is a Japanese solo comedian and rakugo performer, signed with Yoshimoto Kogyo. He is best known for being one of the five members (and the only solo comedian) of Downtown Gaki no Tsukai's regular cast. His role on the show is usually divided up between the suberi-kyara and the ijime-kyara.
Outside of Gaki no Tsukai, he has released three books, a CD single of his signature "Yamazaki Ichi-ban!" song, and has appeared in several Yoshimoto Kogyo compilations and DVD releases.
Hōsei was born in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo where from the age of five he took an interest in Kendo, later joining a high school Kendo club. He attended Nishinomiya South High School where being humorous was a desirable trait, popular among fellow students they coined the term kawaikkoii (かわいっこいい "cute / cool"?) for him.
After graduating from high school, Hōsei joined Yoshimoto Kogyo's 6th NSC (New Star Creation) Osaka-based school group in April 1987. In 1988 he teamed up with Hiromitsu Noriyasu to form the owarai duo GSX (ガスペケ) who performed at the Yoshimoto-run Shinsaibashi Ni-chōme (心斎橋筋2丁目?) theater alongside many other recruits and graduates, such as Downtown, Itsuji Itao, Koji Higashino and Imada Koji.