Yoshimoto started in 1912 after Yoshimoto Kichiibei and his wife Sei bought the Dai-Ni Bungei Kan and operated it as a theatrical venue. Unlike other local theaters at the time that only allowed rakugo to be performed, the couple allowed all entertainment, anything that attracted the audience. They also began to buy more theaters and expanded their business as their theaters began to gain popularity. By 1922, they owned near 30 theaters and established what will be the foundation of today's Yoshimoto. They are responsible for the increased success and popularity of manzai-centered comedy in Japan, and in 1937, Yoshimoto opened the Manzai Gakkou (the school for manzai). They began to enter the film industry following World War II, mainly due to the success experienced by Shochiku (the main competitor). However, this resulted in little success for Yoshimoto, and as a result, they focused on television shows. This was a huge success for Yoshimoto, and their huge presence in the entertainment industry (especially television) continues today.
Today, the company is called Yoshimoto Creative Agency after becoming a holdings company in 2007. Before 2007, it was the largest single production, promotion, and management company in the Japanese entertainment industry. They own and operate theaters across Japan, produce a wide variety of television and radio shows, and recently began to expand its business into the music and film industries. While they have musicians and actors under their management, they are most well known for being a massive management company of owarai geinin.
What distinguishes Yoshimoto geinin from star actors and musicians in the Japanese entertainment industry is their accessibility, as I have mentioned earlier. Big name geinin are far more accessible due to the ubiquity of comedy programs (television and theater) that allows audiences to directly view them. Yoshimoto owns 9 large, successful theaters including Nanba Grand Kagetsu, baseYoshimoto, Kyobashi Kagetsu, Yoshimoto Prince Theater, Lumine the Yoshimoto, Asakusa Kagetsu, Jinbocho Kagetsu, Yoshimoto Mugendai Hall, and Yoshimoto Mugendai Hall Osaka. Many popular geinin that are frequently seen on television shows and in film can be seen performing at one of these venues. Interestingly, both Mugendai Halls are located in the middle of the city, and fans can casually enter with no entrance fee. Most famous of all today is the Nanba Grand Kagetsu, where the Yoshimoto Shin-Kigeki (Yoshimoto New Comedy) is performed. Shin-Kigeki is a theatrical production that include many cliche/perfected acts and stars many veteran geinin as well as those aspiring ones.
clip from Yoshimoto Shin-Kigeki
Succeeding as a Yoshimoto geinin is an elite status among the Japanese comedians. Yoshimoto has a famous school for comedians called New Star Creation (often referred to as NSC). Beginning with big names in Japanese comedians like Downtown (whom I will discuss later), NSC has produced many current owarai stars. Starting in Osaka in 1982, it now has a sister school in Tokyo established in 1995. The Tokyo campus is also serves as a school for aspiring actors, musicians and screenwriters. While the exact number is unknown, it is said that the acceptance rate to this school is 99.9%, and the only requirement to pass is whether one can quietly listen to the interviewer or not. Furthermore, many geinin that came out of NSC have stated that, as a student, one pays tuition but is not taught a thing. This was said to be the worst for the first graduating class where these aspiring comedians took irrelevant courses like modern jazz dance. Also with the opening of NSC, the deshi system that was prevalent before became less emphasized, and because of the new ease of becoming a geinin introduced by the school, the population of aspiring geinin increased rapidly. However, only few make it out successfully; approximately 500 students enter every year in each school, and only about 5% can make it to the theaters, operated by Yoshimoto. Of those 5%, only a handful can appear in the mainstream media. Until one makes it to the main stream media, geinin, at least the very young ones, are usually in extreme poverty. Their monthly income from Yoshimoto may be as low as zero to few hundred yens (few US dollars). In the theater, the performers are ranked A, B, C, or n/a by the audience, and these survey rankings affect the length of time given for the next performance and their salary.
So what happens to the geinin that do not see large success? Some go on to become screenwriters and take on other behind-the-screen roles. However, many continues to live as a geinin. While I have stated that the deshi system (master/student system) has for the most part diminished due to the opening of NSC, the tradition of the older, successful geinin taking care of the younger ones still continue today. Thus, some geinin states that, while geinin may not have any income, they are never left starving. Because of such culture, geinin, especially those from Yoshimoto, calls themselves family, and it is not rare for successful geinin to cast in their tv or radio programs those that have not seen success yet. There is a strong unity among the comedians of Yoshimoto (at least among those who made it), and the comedians from other production company often admire this support system Yoshimoto geinin have behind them.
Interestingly, as for those veterans who never experience huge success but continue to be casted in local theatrical performances, they often make more money than some that are considered more successful. Yoshimoto geinin are paid on a salary unlike many other production companies that pay large sum per success of the performer, and therefore, sometimes as a Yoshimoto geinin, one gets paid more by simply staying in Yoshimoto for a long time.
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