BIo

Saku Yanagawa is a Japanese stand-up comedian based in Chicago, known for his sharp wit and global perspective.

From iconic American clubs like Laugh Factory, Zanies, and The Improv, to major festivals like NBC’s Breakout Comedy Festival, Saku has become a truly international voice in comedy. He’s performed across the globe—in Edinburgh, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, South Korea, and Germany—proving that laughter is a universal language.

In addition to stand-up, Saku is an accomplished sketch writer and performer, with credits at The Second City and iO Theater. He also hosts the wildly entertaining Japanese game show BATSU! in Chicago and New York, bringing organized chaos and audience-screaming laughter to American stages.

In Japan, Saku is a familiar face on national TV and radio, and has served as the main MC at Fuji Rock Festival, one of the largest music festivals in the world—where he has introduced artists such as Foo Fighters, Kendrick Lamar, Bob Dylan, and Lizzo.

In 2021, he was named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” for using comedy to bridge cultures and challenge borders.

A former baseball player and die-hard Chicago Cubs fan, Saku was invited to perform standup inside the Cubs’ clubhouse in 2025.
(They laughed. He cried. It was beautiful.)