Torata Nanbu Giving Lesson on Kindness While a Can of Beer is on His Forehead

Mr. Nanbu, who has been pushing his own body to the limit and delivering impactful performances.

“We are indifferent to taking care of our bodies. It’s all about how much of a fulfilling performance we can show to the audience.”

Which he has always said.

Nowadays, even Tetsuro Degawa, who is constantly appearing in commercials, used to stick his nose in crayfish. Ryuhei Ueshima from “Dacho Club” used to garner laughter by enduring hot baths and piping hot oden. Now, there seems to be a decrease in people willing to put their bodies on the line for variety shows.

A few days before Mr. Nanbu, Mr. Esper Ito, who died at the age of 63 from a disease called “epilepsy overlap,” was also showing off by diving under an unnetted tennis racket and jumping out of a small bag or sack.

At the wedding reception of a sports newspaper reporter, it even came out of the bag behind me as I was giving a speech. Later, he was spinning around with a bat on his head. This one trick was an incredible performance. I felt the greatness of the comedian.

Originally an aspiring actor, Mr. Nanbu auditioned for the late Akira Kurosawa’s “Kagemusha” in 1980 when he was a member of a theater troupe. It was to be his film debut.

While interacting with the audience at a strip theater in Shibuya, Tokyo, Nanbu’s stories, which had no script, were well received by the audience, which awakened his interest in comedy. He decided to form a comedy troupe with other “inedible” comedians around him.

He, along with Katsuhiro Higo, Simon Templeman, and Ryuhei Ueshima, formed “Dacho Club.” While initially the first leader, he eventually left due to differences in comedic styles. He then went on to create “Dengeki Network.”

And so, Mr. Nambu continued to escalate the intensity of his performances. His daring physical acts have left their mark even in the Reiwa era. Namu Amida Butsu.