Hitoshi Matsumoto, a renowned Japanese comedian, and his childhood friend Masatoshi Hamada, a talented comedic partner, joined forces as the illustrious comedy duo Downtown. During the late 1980s, they launched their own television shows, which swiftly became a phenomenal sensation among young Japanese individuals, catapulting them to the forefront of Japanese pop culture.
Unlike other Japanese comedy duos, Downtown has managed to maintain their partnership, dominating prime-time television shows in Japan with their unique brand of humor. Their yearly "batsu" television special, which has been broadcast on New Year's Eve for a consecutive decade, has garnered a massive following not only in Japan but also internationally, thanks to its widespread availability on YouTube.
