Utopia is the name of a veteran
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
ese
Owarai
is a broad word used to describe Japanese comedy as seen on television. The word ''owarai'' is the Honorific speech in Japanese#Honorific prefixes, honorific form of the word ''warai'' (by adding o- prefix), meaning "a laugh" or "a smile". '' ...
comedy duo.
The members are nicknamed ''Hope'' and ''Peace'' as a result. They debuted in 1978 and grew famous with a skit about a teacher and student played by Hope and Peace respectively, where the teacher convinces the student to hold the end of a long rubber band in his mouth while the teacher pulls back and releases it slapstick-style.
They are considered veterans in the industry; their recent appearance in the movie ''
Trick 2'' illustrates the cult-like following of their career and catch phrase: "Yoroshiku Ne!"
Hope
Mitsuyoshi Jogo (born October 24, 1949, in
Fukuoka
is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
) is the leader.
He currently works as an actor in various television dramas, and as a
tarento
Television personalities in Japan, known as in Japanese, are celebrities who regularly appear in mass media in Japan, especially as panelists on variety shows. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, bankable stars in the United States were descri ...
-style reporter on documentary and variety shows. He also writes a column in the Japanese magazine FLASH EX called ''よろしくね教ホープ教祖に聞け!連載''/''Yoroshiku ne Kyo''.
Peace
Shinichi Hoashi (born March 9, 1955, in
Ōita Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Ōita Prefecture has a population of 1,081,646 (1 February 2025) and has a geographic area of 6,340 km2 (2,448 sq mi). Ōita Prefecture borders Fukuoka Prefecture to the northwest, K ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
) also stars in various
V-cinema
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strate ...
dramas.
References
{{Reflist
Japanese comedy duos