Top 50 Comedy & Entertainment Influencers in Japan to Know in 2026

Affiliation: Formerly with 大川興業 (Ohkawa Kogyo) · Last post: 27 September 2026 (YouTube feed); a newer video on the Videos tab.

5.42M YouTube subscribers. EGA-CHANNEL is variety built around physical stunts, guest conversations and product reviews, from a comedian known for an extreme, crude comic style, with an audience strong among men across age groups. A second channel, @EGA-CHANNEL2, runs separately.

Credentials: Solo comedian (ピン芸人) · Last post: 26 September 2026 (YouTube feed).

3.02M YouTube subscribers. EIKO!GO!! is built mainly on game playthroughs, but the draw is Eiko Kano’s reactions: the naive, easily surprised persona the comedian plays. Kano also appears in a series, がんばれ狩野マンドゥ部長, on the official channel of the food brand bibigo. A sub-channel, @eikochan-chi, runs separately.

Last post: 27 September 2026.

2.64M YouTube subscribers. On かまいたちチャンネル, the duo’s two members, 山内 (Yamauchi) and 濱家 (Hamaie), talk, play games, run planned challenges and test products on camera.

Last post: 28 September 2026 (YouTube feed).

2.5M YouTube subscribers. The duo’s channel covers impressions, sketches, fashion and planned challenges, and the business runs on tie-ups and merchandise alongside YouTube advertising. A sub-channel, @CPch_sub, runs separately.

Credentials: 梶原雄太 (Kajiwara Yuta) of the comedy duo キングコング (King Kong) · Last post: 28 September 2026.

2.44M YouTube subscribers on Japanese Ninja Kajisac TV. Yuta Kajiwara makes variety videos with family members and fellow comedians: children appear often, and guest-comedian episodes run alongside the family ones. A sub-channel, @kajisacnokobeya, runs separately.

Last post: 28 September 2026.

2.42M YouTube subscribers. Soshina’s solo channel combines the blunt critique series 1人賛否 (one-man pros and cons) with gambling talk and music, and earns from YouTube advertising.

Last post: 31 January 2026 (YouTube feed).

2.13M YouTube subscribers. しもふりチューブ carries the duo’s talk and planned-challenge variety, with tie-ups alongside YouTube advertising; member 粗品 (Soshina) also runs the solo channel above. Uploads are irregular, so confirm the production schedule before fixing a campaign date.

Last post: 26 September 2026.

1.65M YouTube subscribers. ララチューン features talk and planned challenges by サーヤ (Saaya) and ニシダ (Nishida), including self-deprecating material about Nishida’s own private life. Nishida also runs a personal channel, @nko_nishida, separately. Confirm who the contracting party is before briefing.

Credentials: Formerly of B21スペシャル (B21 Special) · Last post: 27 August 2026.

1.32M YouTube subscribers. Hiromi factory チャンネル is less a comedy channel than a hands-on project channel presented by an entertainer: DIY, renovation, cars and camping, with the products used on camera rather than presented.

Last post: 28 September 2026.

945K YouTube subscribers. The manzai duo’s official channel mixes analysis of how comedy works with planned challenges. A separate channel, 令和ロマンのご様子 (@goyousu_reiwaroman), runs alongside it.

Last post: 28 September 2026 (YouTube).

1.88M YouTube subscribers. ジャンボたかお (Jumbo Takao) and 池田直人 (Ikeda Naoto) post short sketches built on recurring characters, including roles played in drag that are popular with a female audience. Ikeda also runs a personal channel, @ikenao0919, separately.

Last post: 25 September 2026 (YouTube feed).

1.76M YouTube subscribers. The trio makes character sketches, many set at school, popular with viewers in their teens and twenties. Indeed Japan announced on 31 August 2026 that Gerrardon’s 型抜きパネル (cut-out panel) bit would be used in TV and web commercials for タウンワーク (Townwork).

Credentials: Solo comedian · Last post: 28 September 2026 (YouTube).

1.72M YouTube subscribers. 陣内智則のネタジン publishes solo routines in which Jinnai reacts to and corrects pre-recorded video playing on a screen beside the comedian, a format that relies little on language and is watched outside Japan.

Last post: 28 September 2026 (YouTube).

1.7M YouTube subscribers on ジャルジャルタワー (JARUJARU Tower). The duo uploads a sketch every day under the banner ネタのタネ (seeds of material): short, premise-driven pieces that are comparatively light on language. A second channel, ジャルジャルアイランド (@jarujaruisland8111), runs separately.

Credentials: Manzai duo of two brothers · Last post: 25 September 2026 (YouTube).

1.54M YouTube subscribers. The brothers’ channel combines three strands — manzai, impressions and railways — which gives it a subject beyond comedy itself.

Credentials: Of ロバート (Robert) · Last post: 3 August 2026 (YouTube).

1.07M YouTube subscribers on クリエイターズ・ファイル (Creators File). Ryuji Akiyama fully inhabits invented professionals from a range of industries and presents them as mock-documentary interviewees; corporate collaborations in which a fictional character presents a product are one of the channel’s established formats.

Last post: 30 August 2026 (YouTube).

864K YouTube subscribers. The trio’s official channel carries sketches about the small misunderstandings of everyday life, and much of what it publishes is footage from the trio’s own live shows.

Last post: 25 September 2026 (YouTube).

854K YouTube subscribers. The manzai duo’s channel covers manzai, talk and planned segments by 石田 (Ishida) and 井上 (Inoue). Ishida also runs a personal channel, @ishida.akira_yoiiiiin, separately.

Credentials: Of the comedy duo オリエンタルラジオ (Oriental Radio) · Affiliation: Independent; runs an online salon and an apparel business · Last post: 26 September 2026 (YouTube).

5.48M YouTube subscribers on 中田敦彦のYouTube大学 (Nakata Atsuhiko’s YouTube University). The former comedian delivers lecture-style entertainment on history, business and similar subjects: a comedian’s performance skills in an explainer format. Nakata also runs the online salon PROGRESS and an apparel business, so check for category overlap before briefing.

Credentials: Producer, not a performer · Affiliation: Channel run under the producer’s own name · Last post: 26 September 2026 (YouTube).

3.33M YouTube subscribers. Producer Nobuyuki Sakuma makes NOBROCK TV as a web variety programme of hidden-camera and sketch-style segments casting comedians and actresses, and sells tie-ins and events at the level of the programme rather than the performer.

Credentials: Of 千原兄弟 (Chihara Kyodai) · Last post: 28 September 2026 (YouTube).

752K YouTube subscribers. Junior Chihara’s channel mixes talk, guest appearances and 大喜利 (ōgiri), the improvised game in which comedians answer a prompt with the funniest line they can find.

Last post: 28 September 2026 (YouTube).

454K YouTube subscribers. 嶋佐 (Shimasa) and 屋敷 (Yashiki) post sharp-tongued talk and planned segments, some with sexual humour, along with behind-the-scenes stories from comedy competitions.

Credentials: Self-described comedian; the YouTube channel description reads “渡辺直美という芸人です” (a comedian named Naomi Watanabe) · Last post: 8 August 2026 (YouTube feed).

1.54M YouTube subscribers. Naomi Watanabe, a comedian based in New York who publishes to audiences in Japan and abroad, mixes fashion and beauty with impressions and performance. Watanabe also runs the brand PUNYUS, so fashion brands should check for overlap first.

Last post: 22 September 2026 (YouTube feed).

1.25M YouTube subscribers. Rei Maruyama posts short sketches built on aruaru, instantly recognisable everyday situations, and impressions of character types, for a female-leaning audience. The channel earns from advertising and company tie-ups.

Last post: 26 September 2026.

367K YouTube subscribers on 紅しょうがのバンザイちゃんねる. The women’s manzai duo from Osaka posts talk, location shoots and challenges in Kansai dialect. A separate channel, @beni_sukizuki, runs alongside it.

Last post: 25 September 2026.

321K YouTube subscribers on ３時のヒロイン公式チャンネル. The women’s comedy trio posts sketches and challenge formats, earning from advertising and tie-ups.

Last post: 21 September 2026.

293K YouTube subscribers on ぼる塾チャンネル. The four-woman comedy group builds its channel around sweets and talk, and sweets-related tie-ups are part of its business. Member 田辺 (Tanabe) runs a personal channel, @boru-tana, separately.

Affiliation: The channel description refers to 吉本お笑い街道 (Yoshimoto Owarai Kaido) · Last post: 28 September 2026 (YouTube feed).

178K YouTube subscribers on エルフのギャルJAPAN. 荒川 (Arakawa) and はる (Haru) present as gyaru comedians, talking make-up, style and gal culture, and cosmetics tie-ups are part of the channel’s business. Arakawa also runs a personal channel.

Last post: 27 March 2026 (YouTube).

135K YouTube subscribers. Yuriyan Retriever is a solo comedian pursuing work in the United States, posting English-language material, dance and daily life. The comedian’s work also includes film directing, and much of it happens away from social media, so the channel posts only occasionally.

Affiliation: Sony Music Artists (ソニー・ミュージックアーティスツ) · Last post: 28 September 2026 (X); 22 September 2026 (YouTube feed).

827,028 X followers and 157K YouTube subscribers. X is the main platform for Yasuko’s upbeat persona and catchphrase, which appeal across age groups, and the business covers tie-ups, commercials and YouTube advertising.

Last post: 27 September 2026.

9.18M YouTube subscribers. Seven men who were junior-high classmates make physical challenges such as obstacle courses and games of tag, watched widely by primary and junior-high-school children. Similarly named channels exist; this is the group’s main channel.

Last post: 27 September 2026.

7.26M YouTube subscribers. Six men based in Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, post physical stunts, forfeit games and experiments almost every day. Officially sanctioned clip channels run separately.

Last post: 21 September 2026.

5.09M YouTube subscribers. Seikin, the elder brother of HIKAKIN, makes product introductions, challenge formats and family-oriented videos; the two are separate creators, and this is Seikin’s own channel.

Last post: 28 September 2026.

4.99M YouTube subscribers. Hikaru makes high-budget challenges, pranks and interviews designed to get people talking, and also runs businesses including apparel, so check for category overlap before briefing.

Last post: 28 September 2026.

4.32M YouTube subscribers. テオくん (Teo-kun) and じんじん (Jin-jin) make challenge and variety videos alongside a music career. A sub-channel, @Skypeace2, runs separately.

Last post: 28 September 2026.

4.3M YouTube subscribers. Five men who grew up together post pranks, head-to-head contests and everyday formats, with a strong following among viewers in their teens and twenties.

Last post: 26 September 2026.

4.02M YouTube subscribers. カンタ (Kanta) and トミー (Tommy) post daily: pranks, experiments and on-the-ground investigations of urban legends. A member’s personal channel (@TomiVideo) and a sub-channel (@MizutamaribondNoNichijo) run separately.

Last post: 28 September 2026.

3.92M YouTube subscribers. Eiji Kirizaki makes pranks, challenges and Shorts featuring the creator’s family, including a younger sister who runs a channel of her own, for a young audience.

Last post: 26 September 2026.

3.73M YouTube subscribers. NICO and RIHO make hands-on challenges and everyday banter for a strongly female audience. A sub-channel (@heiseiuramingo) and an officially sanctioned clip channel run separately.

Last post: 28 September 2026 (YouTube).

16.3M YouTube subscribers on the main channel. The Shizuoka-born solo creator makes tests, experiments and large-scale projects, earning from YouTube advertising and brand tie-ups. A second channel, @hajimesyacho2, runs separately.

Last post: 23 August 2026 (YouTube feed); a newer video on the Videos tab.

10.1M YouTube subscribers on the main channel. Riku makes giant handmade builds, chemistry experiments and “I tried doing …” videos that need no dialogue, which makes them watchable outside Japan. A second channel and an English-language channel run separately.

Last post: 27 September 2026 (YouTube feed).

3.61M YouTube subscribers. Dekakin posts big-eating, food reviews and Shorts. Dekakin is a different person from HIKAKIN, so keep the two apart in a media plan or contract.

Last post: 27 September 2026 (YouTube).

2.73M YouTube subscribers. The channel describes its tone as fun, relaxed and peaceful, and posts tests, experiments and challenges in that register.

Last post: 24 September 2026 (YouTube).

2.47M YouTube subscribers. Under the banner “CRAZY CHALLENGER”, Joe Vlog takes on physically demanding challenges and journeys in Japan and overseas, and the channel description promotes a fan club alongside YouTube advertising and brand tie-ups.

Last post: 28 September 2026 (YouTube).

1.3M YouTube subscribers. Masuo buys expensive items, tests them and reviews much-talked-about products, staged as entertainment rather than as straight reviews. A separate gaming channel, @MasuoGames, runs alongside it.

Last post: 24 September 2026 (YouTube).

38.9M YouTube subscribers. Junya makes one-gag short comedy with no spoken lines, built from everyday objects around the house, and runs a TikTok account under the same handle.

Last post: 28 September 2026 (YouTube).

38.6M YouTube subscribers. Sagawa makes non-verbal, one-gag short comedy; the YouTube channel description names the TikTok account @sagawa1gou as the creator’s.

Last post: 28 September 2026 (YouTube).

37.2M YouTube subscribers. Saito makes fast-paced non-verbal comedy and trick shots in short videos, with fans in Japan and abroad; the channel description names the TikTok account @saito09 as the same creator’s.

Last post: 27 September 2026 (YouTube feed).

23.2M YouTube subscribers. HAYATAKU makes non-verbal short sketches: hero stories built from cardboard and similar materials, and gags drawn from everyday life. A TikTok account, @wd7754, runs alongside the channel.

Last post: 24 September 2026 (YouTube feed).

2.66M YouTube subscribers. Older brother Shun and younger sister Sakura trade lines in short sketches and music-based gags. Their TikTok account, @oshima_, runs under the brother’s name.