Veteran Tsutomu Sekine Open Up Secret to Thriving in Entertainment Industry: Prioritizing Quality Time with Daughter Over Late Nights

I have been a TV kid since I was a child, and I am still a regular viewer. I record all terrestrial variety shows and watch them for four hours a day.

Tsutomu Sekine, 70, who celebrates the 50th anniversary of his career this year, describes himself as a professional viewer.

Even though he has reached his 70th birthday, Sekine continues to be energetic, appearing on TV programs, posting videos on YouTube, and acting as the chairman of the stage company Kankonkin Theatre. Moreover, despite such a long career, we have heard nothing bad about him. How on earth did he manage to establish this position?

We interviewed him directly after he published “Sekine Tsutomu’s Laws of Not Being Hated” (Fusosha) in February of this year.

Sekine analyzes that his bitter experiences in his youth are behind his not being disliked. He was in his 20s and worked as a comedian under the name “Rabbit Sekine.” He achieved his breakthrough with Mantis Kenpo, a technique in which he moves his hands while shouting Ka-ma-ki-ri,’ but his too crappy style was not well-received in the entertainment room.

When I was young, I was so desperate to make an impact that I didn’t have time to spare,” he said. So I started to overreact more and more. If there had been social networking services back then, I would have been flamed for being creepy and removed from regular TV appearances (laughs).

Although he appears on stage with Kazuki Kosakai (68), a junior at the agency, his impression of the praying mantis man is too strong, and he continues to not be as well-received as he would like. Kinichi Hagimoto (82), a senior at the agency, said these words to Sekine, who was struggling to make progress.

Kin-chan said, “If you have a million yen in your pocket, don’t show all of it, but only 50,000 yen. At first I had a hard time finding the right amount of salt, but after about two months, I was able to take a step back and get a more relaxed point of view. 

Sekine’s classmates include big names such as Sanma Akashiya (68) and Shinsuke Shimada (67). “It’s okay to laugh! ” (Fuji TV), where he co-starred with Tamori (78) for 29 years. He recalls that he learned a lot by coming into close contact with big names.

What Sanma-san and Tamori-san have in common is that they are common-sense people who are flat to everyone.Also, they are geniuses who are never pretentious and do not make others nervous. I think this is very important when working.

Tamori-san never brags and always listens to what we have to say in an interesting way. I often play golf with Mr. Sanma, and even if I bring a friend of mine who has nothing to do with the world of entertainment, he is always quick to make fun of me. He always leaves the golf course bursting with laughter.

Even now, He still has the same desire to absorb new things as he did when he was in his 20s performing Mantis Man. Even at the age where he is considered a big name, he continues to check out every show, and personally goes to the dressing rooms of comedians he finds interesting and greets them. Because he is humble and not arrogant, he is able to stay free from the effects of old age.

 

The tide has turned since KUKI KAIDAN won the King of Contest in 2021. Comedy nowadays doesn’t have tsukkomi. They have gotten better at showing the story, and there is no longer a need to go into it in an obvious way. I love new comedies like ‘Ranjyatai,’ in which a guy keeps doing blurbs that could be considered creepy, or Pattie-chan, in which a kizayo makes two gals swim.

A characteristic of Sekine’s career is that there have been no scandals during his long career.

The reason there have been no scandals is because I don’t go to such places in the first place. I don’t drink, so I don’t go out at night. The other reason is simply that I was never popular (laughs). Even when I go to Ginza for socializing, I compare my conversations with hostesses to those of YOU (59) and Michiko Shimizu (64), and I find it more interesting to talk with them. The time I spent playing with my daughter Mari (39) was many times more enjoyable than the nightlife. So I would go home as soon as I finished work.

The real Mari reveals that the reason why her father is not hated is because, My father has all the sensibilities of an elementary school boy (and in a lower grade). When she asked him about it, she said with a big smile.

I thought my senses stopped at about the eighth grade, but Mari is watching me very closely (laughs). But that’s why I’ve always sought out interesting things, and even though I’ve been doing this for 50 years, I never get tired of it.

Underlying his unlikability is a pure love of comedy. Even though he has reached his 70th birthday, Sekine remains the same TV kid at heart as he was when he was a small child.

From the March 22, 2024 issue of FRIDAY