Japanese talent/comedy giant, Yoshimoto Kogyo, debuts its latest international expansion plans at MIPCOM this week, consolidating a raft of existing production and development partnerships and gathering its resources for its strongest global push yet.

The strategy rolls out along with a flourishing relationship with Amazon MGM Studios, which is sending its unscripted teams from around the world to Tokyo in a few weeks to workshop new ideas with Yoshimoto Kogyo.

“We really think they [Yoshimoto] are a comedy goldmine, and we want to make sure we find that next hit,” said James Farrell, Amazon MGM Studios’ Head of International Originals, during the Mipcom opening keynote panel this morning.

President of Yoshimoto Kogyo, Akihiko Okamoto, uses the Japanese word “gannen” (元年) – the first year of a specific era –  to describe the dawn of a new age at the 112-year-old company. . 

Part of the reason for the upsized global focus is the current environment, which combines tech developments with economic shifts at home and abroad,  Okamoto says. 

“Right now we're in this digital world in which we can put out any kind of content, and then it will be  spread all around the world. So with the technology and the expansion of information technology, I think that time has come in which comedy now can be more spread out,” he says. 

At the same time, Japan’s terrestrial TV economics are changing, with drops in production, talent and cast fees. 

“It’s time to explore different opportunities around the world,” he says.

India is high on the list of potential markets. Opportunities are led by adaptations of Japanese unscripted comedy formats, he says. 

Yoshimoto Kogyo’s most high-profile partnership at the moment is with Amazon MGM Studios / Prime Video, which produced “LOL: Last One Laughing” around the world as well as multiple seasons of  “The Bachelor Japan” and “Bachelorette Japan”. . 

“LOL: Last One Laughing” has so far been made in more than 20 territories, including Australia, India, Brazil, Canada, Nigeria and the Nordics, and is the most watched title of all time on Prime Video in France, Germany and Italy. In the last year, eight adaptations have been signed, most recently for the U.K. with Jimmy Carr hosting. 

In Japan, “LOL: Last One Laughing” has aired as “Documental” for 13 seasons, while in the rest of Asia, versions have been made in the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.

“The success of LOL is shaping our strategy,” Okamoto says. 

Okamoto’s goal is to open up global opportunities for Yoshimoto Kogyo’s 6,000 artists, which include comedians, TV personalities and musicians. 

“We want them to go all over the world, being great performers out there,” he said in an interview ahead of Mipcom’s Monday morning keynote with Amazon MGM Studios' Farrell. 

Japanese comedienne Naomi Watanabe’s two sold-out shows at New York’s Gramercy Theatre on 18 October – just as Okamoto was arriving in Cannes – put proverbial wind in those sails. 

The two performances were Watanabe’s first ever live stand-up comedy events.

“Our comedians are able to entertain people… we’ve  been sending them to different territories, different towns, and they have been succeeding tremendously,” Okamoto says. 

Okamoto talks about a two-tiered talent development strategy. 

“First and foremost, our priority is, because we have 6,000 talents in our roster, to have them succeed, go all over the around the world, and give them the environment in which they can do a lot of great things around the world,” he says. 

“Once that becomes successfu… adding talent from different countries will be just a natural course,” he adds. 

Generational change is also a key factor behind Yoshimoto Kogyo’s international shift. 

“The up-and-coming generation of artists have a much more international outlook [than previous generations]. They are trying to make strides in this world, they’re more flexible and more dynamic. They can think out of the box. Creating opportunities for them to flourish is very important to me,” Okamoto adds. 

Corporate collaborations outside of Japan are not new to Yoshimoto Kogyo, whose sprawling business covers talent management, theatre operations, live production, video production and publishing.  

In May 2019, Yoshimoto Kogyo set up a joint venture, LapOne Entertainment, with CJ ENM Corp in Korea. 

The company also has a mainland Chinese production venture with CCTV. 

The company also has an 18-month-old partnership, FANY Studio, with Japanese telecom behemoth, NTT Docomo. The company was established in May 2023 to create global content, including producing a wide range of ovntent, from comedy and game show formats to webtoons and drama.

Among other capabilities, Yoshimoto Kogyo has the capacity to produce about 5,000 programmes a year, including variety shows, drama, animation and movies, and manages/produces 1,300 live performances a year. 

In Japan, Yoshimoto Kogyo produced about 4,700 TV programmes spanning terrestrial free-TV and BS/CS broadcasting platforms, aside from about 300 episodes for Netflix and Prime Video. 

TV shows include “Wednesday’s Downtown” and “I Am Adventure Boy” (TBS), “Down Down DX” (YTV),  “Higashino/Okamura no Tabiaru 22” (NTV) and “Makagawa Family & Contrast” (BS Fuji) and “Robert’s Contrast Gokujo Kyakkei (Wowow). TV specials include “Comedy Day” (TBS), “Celebrity Ratings Check” (ABC).