is a
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
comedy
Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium.
Origins
Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
duo consisting of and . Formerly a trio, Shinji Saitō (斉藤慎二) was removed in October 2024 due to being charged with sexual assault. They are graduates of the
Yoshimoto NSC Tokyo 12th generation and employed by
Yoshimoto Kogyo. They are mostly active in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
.
Members
Current
* Hirohisa Ōta (太田博久) Born December 10, 1983 in
Toyota, Aichi
, formerly known as Koromo, is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 426,162 and a population density of 464 people per km2. The total area was . It is located about 50 minutes from Nagoya by way of the Me ...
. Plays the ''
boke''. He is the main writer of the group's material and skits. His wife is the
fashion model
A model is a person with a role either to display commercial products (notably fashion clothing in fashion shows) or to serve as an artist's model.
Modelling ("modeling" in American English) entails using one's body to represent someone ...
,
Chihiro Kondo.
* Otake (おたけ) Born December 2, 1982 in
Chūō, Tokyo
is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The ward refers to itself in English as Chūō City. It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Kyōbashi and Nihonbashi wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis.
C ...
. Plays the
ponkotsu role, a persona that has become synonymous with Otake's character. He is currently a member of the comedy-focused
idol group, ''
Yoshimotozaka46''.
Former
* Shinji Saitō (斉藤慎二) Born October 26, 1982 in
Yachiyo, Chiba
file:京成バラ園.jpg, 270px, Keisei Rose Gardens
is a Cities of Japan, city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 205,748 in 96,903 households and a population density of 4000 persons per km2. The tota ...
. Played the ''
boke'', but had transitioned to also playing the ''
tsukkomi
The following glossary of words and terms (generally of Japanese language, Japanese origin) are related to ''owarai'' (Japanese comedy). Many of these terms may be used in areas of Japanese culture beyond comedy, including television and radio, ...
''. He aspired to be an actor before becoming a comedian and graduated with a degree in
acting
Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode.
Acting involves a broad range of sk ...
from
Toho Gakuen College of Drama and Music
is a junior college
A junior college is a type of post-secondary institution that offers vocational and academic training that is designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations or support roles in professions ...
before joining
Yoshimoto NSC.
Career
The unit formed at a banquet party right before the 12th generation graduation when Ōta and Otake decided to partner up, with Saitō joining afterwards to form the trio. At first, Ōta was not thrilled to team up with Saitō.
[De☆View 2013 April Edition (Oricon Entertainment)] The name ''Jungle Pocket'' is named after the famous racehorse
Jungle Pocket by Saitō who was a fan of the horse. Saito has gone on to own one of Jungle Pocket's last crops, a filly that he named ''Omataseshimashita,'' as well as making cameo appearances in the anime adaptation of ''
Umamusume'', which feature an
anthropomorphized version of the horse.
Jungle Pocket made several appearances on ''King of Conte'' for their
conte
Conte may refer to:
* Conte (literature), a literary genre
* Conte (surname)
* Conté, a drawing medium
* Conte, Jura, town in France
* Conté royal family, a fictional family in Tamora Pierce's Tortallan world
* Conte, the title of Count in Italy ...
and ''
M-1 Grand Prix'' and ''The Manzai'' for their
manzai
is a traditional style of comedy in Japanese culture comparable to double act comedy.
usually involves two performers ()—a straight man () and a double act, funny man ()—trading jokes at great speed. Most of the jokes revolve around mut ...
. They reached the semi-finals for ''King of Conte'' 6 years in a row until 2015, when they made it to the finals for the first time.
Since then, the group gained popularity and make frequent appearances on television.
Yoshimoto Kogyo announced on October 7, 2024, that Saito would be dismissed from his job, after being found out that he was arrested for having committed sexual assault in July against a 20-year old woman in a bus at a filming location in Tokyo. Saito himself confirmed the action. The remaining members will continue as a duo.
Achievements
King of Conte
* 2008 - 2nd Round
* 2009 - Semi-Finalist
* 2010 - Semi-Finalist
* 2011 - Semi-Finalist
* 2012 - Semi-Finalist
* 2013 - Semi-Finalist
* 2014 - Semi-Finalist
* 2015 - Finalist (4th Place)
* 2016 - Finalist (Runners-up)
* 2017 - Finalist (4th Place)
* 2018 - Semi-Finalist
M-1 Grand Prix
* 2007 - 2nd Round
* 2008 - 3rd Round
* 2009 - Semi-Finalist
* 2010 - Quarter-Finalist
* 2015 - Quarter-Finalist
The Manzai
* 2011 - 2nd Round
* 2012 - Certified Manzai Comedian
* 2013 - 2nd Round
* 2014 - Certified Manzai Comedian
References
External links
Official Profile on Yoshimoto
{{Authority control
Japanese comedy troupes
Japanese comedy duos
Japanese YouTube groups
Alumni of NSC Tokyo