Saku Yanagawa is a Japanese comedian based in Chicago. Internationally he’s performed in over 10 countries and across the US at notable venues including Laugh Factory, Second City, Zanies, and The Comedy Store.
He has appeared and headlined many comedy festivals not only in America but around the world, including Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and Fuji Rock Festival in Japan. Saku became the finalist in several comedy competitions including in Seattle, Palm Springs, and Boston. He also appeared on “NBC’s Break Out Comedy Festival” and “StandUp NBC”.
Saku was selected “Forbes 30 Under 30” as a comedian in 2021. Saku is the founder and Artistic Director of The World Comedy Expo.

   アメリカ・シカゴを拠点に活動するスタンダップコメディアン。これまで10カ国以上で公演を果たす。シカゴではLaugh FactoryやZaniesなどの有名クラブにレギュラー出演しながら、世界的コメディグループThe Second Cityでインプロ(即興劇)のショーにも出演。
 2018年にはワールドツアーを行いケニアではアフリカ最大のTVショーに出演を果たす。イギリス・スコットランドにて開催されている世界最大のアートフェス、エディンバラ・フェスティバル・フリンジにも出演したほか、多くの国際コメディ大会に日本代表として出場しファイナリストに。2019NBCの主催するBreak Out Comedy Festivalに日本人として初出演。2022年には中西部で最大のコメディフェスティバル"World Comedy Expo"をプロデュースし、芸術監督を務める。
 日本国内でもTVやラジオに多数出演。2019年より、フジロック・フェスティバルのメインステージで司会を務める。2021年フォーブス誌の選ぶ『世界を変える30歳以下の30人』に選出。
 アメリカの今を伝えるポッドキャスト、”Saku’s Radio from Chicago”を配信し、日刊サイゾーではコラムも連載。
単著に『スタンダップコメディ入門 ”笑い”で読み解くアメリカ文化史』『Get Up Stand Up たたかうために立ち上がれ』。
大阪大学文学部、演劇学・音楽学卒

 

[ Notable Comedy Clubs & Colleges ]
-Laugh Factory Chicago (IL, USA)
-Up Comedy Club; The Second City(IL, USA)
-Zanies Old Town (IL, USA)
-Zanies Rosemont (IL, USA)
-The Improv (IL, USA)
-The Comedy Bar (IL, USA)
-CG's Comedy Club (IL, USA)
-The iO Theater (IL, USA)
-The House of Blues (IL, USA)

-The Comedy Store (CA, USA)
-The Punch Line SF (CA, USA)
-The Comedy Store La Jolla (CA, USA)
-Flappers Comedy Club Burbank (CA, USA)
-Haha Comedy Club (CA, USA)
-Comedy Chateau (CA, USA)
-Comedy Heights (CA, USA)
-Broadway Comedy Club (NY, USA)
-Caveat (NY, USA)
-The Comedy Studio (MA, USA)
-Comedy Underground (WA, USA)
-Unexpected Productions (WA, USA)
-Laughing Tap (WI, USA)
-Bonkerz Comedy Club (MI, USA)
-Idiot Box Comedy Club (NC, USA)
-House of Comedy (MN, USA)
-The Comedy Bar Nashville (TN. USA)

-Angel Comedy Club (London, UK)
-Cabaret Voltaire (Edinburgh, UK)
-Cosmic Comedy (Berlin, Germany)
-Comedy Haven (Seoul, Korea)
-Ha Ha Hole (Busan, Korea)
-Ulsan Comedy Club (Ulsan, Korea)
-Theater La Bonita (Kampala, Uganda)
-Carnivore (Nairobi, Kenya)
-Comedy Knight Club (Kigali, Rwanda)

-Cotton Club (Tokyo, Japan)
-Billboard Japan (Tokyo, Japan)
-Stand Up Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan)
-ROR Comedy Club (Osaka, Japan)

-Texas A&M University (Texas, USA)
-Osaka University (Osaka, Japan)

[ Festivals & Competitions ]
-World Comedy Expo (Chicago, 2022)
-Laugh After Dark Comedy Festival (Las Vegas, 2022)
-Sixth City Comedy Festival (Cleveland, 2022)
-Comedy Chateau International Comedy Festival (Los Angeles, 2022)
-Tower City Comedy Festival (Paris, 2022)
-Fuji Rock Festival (Naeba, 2022)

-Seattle International Comedy Competition (Seattle, 2021)
-Boston Comedy Festival (Boston, 2021)
-North Carolina Comedy Festival (Greensboro, 2021)

-San Diego Comedy Festival (San Diego, 2020)
-Milwaukee Comedy Festival (Milwaukee, 2020)
-Burbank Comedy Festival (Burbank, 2020)
-Oak City Comedy Festival (Raleigh, 2020)
-Palm Springs International Comedy Festival (Palm Springs, 2020)
-Kenan Thompson's Ultimate Comedy Experience (Atlanta, 2020)
-North Carolina Comedy Festival (Greensboro, 2020)
-Floodwater Comedy Festival (Iowa City, 2020)

-Boston Comedy Festival (Boston, 2019)
-Fuji Rock Festival (Niigata, Japan, 2019)
-Japan Festival Chicago 2019 (Chicago, 2019)
-NBC StandUp (Chicago, 2019)
-The Second City & NBC's Break Out Comedy Festival 2019 (Chicago, 2019)

-Palm Springs International Comedy Festival (Palm Springs, 2018)
-39th Annual Seattle International Comedy Competition (Seattle, 2018)
-Asagiri Jam (Yamanashi, Japan, 2018)
-Edinburgh Festival Fringe (Edinburgh, Scotland, 2018)
-Magners International Comedy Competition (Tokyo, Japan, 2018)

-Kigali International Comedy Festival (Kigali, Rwanda, 2017)

[ Awards ]

-Forbes 30 Under 30 (2021)
-Best of The Burbank Comedy Festival (2021)

[ Theaters & Improvs ]
-“SAKU YANAGAWA SHOW” (written/directed/ starred)
(Chicago 2019~)
-“Saku’s Comedy Night” (written/directed/starred)

-“People In The Wind” (dir: Satoshi Nikaido) as a Bus Driver (Tokyo, Japan)
-“Der Jasagar” (dir: Akira Ichikawa) as a Singer (Augsburg, Germany)
-“Yes Man” (dir: Akira Ichikawa) as a Singer (Osaka, Japan)

[ Films ]
-“Human Rights Samurai” (written/directed/starred) 2017

[ TV ]

-“Waratte Koraete” (Japan, 2023)
-“ABC 7 Chicago” (ABC, 2022)
-"Ce Matin" (Japan, 2022-)
-“Direct Talk” NHK World (Japan, 2021)
-“International Journal” NHK (Japan, 2021)
-“Good Morning Nippon” NHK (Japan, 2021)
-“Viking” Fuji TV (Japan, 2021)
-“Sunday Japon” TBS (Japan 2021)
-“King of Comedy” NHK (Japan 2020)
-"Tomohiro Machiyama's Getting To Know America's Now TV in Association with CNN" BS Asahi, CNN (Japan, 2019/2020)
-"Tokudane" Fuji TV (Japan, 2020)
-“Paul Hollywood’s Eats Japan”  Channel 4 (UK, 2020)
-“CAN TV’s LOL” CAN TV (Chicago, 2018)
-“Churchill Show” NTV Kenya (Kenya, 2017)
-“News Watch 9”  NHK (Japan, 2016)
-“Yugata News Wonder” Kansai Television (Japan, 2016)

[ Podcast / Radio ] -“Saku’s Radio from Chicago” (written/directed / starred 2019-)
-“Baseball Is Music” (Japan, 2022-)
-“Comedy Radio” (Japan, 2022-)
-"After 6 Junction" (TBS, Japan 2019-)

-"Session" (TBS, Japan, 2022)
-“Golden Radio” (QR, Japan 2021)
-“Good Neighbors!” (J-WAVE, Japan, 2021)
-“ANA World Air Current” (J-WAVE, Japan, 2021)
-“Morning Tokyo” (J-WAVE, Japan, 2021)
-"Gold Rush" (J-WAVE, Japan 2020)
-"SEASONS" (J-WAVE, Japan 2020)
-"Golden Pass" (J-WAVE, Japan, 2020)
-“Tamamusubi” (TBS, Japan 2019)
-"Saku Yanagawa Time for Standup" (JFN Park, Japan 2019)
-"Music Garage Room 101" (bayfm, Japan 2019)
-"THE TRAD" (Tokyo FM, Japan 2019)

[ Education / Training ] -The Second City 2015-2016
-Osaka University  2012-2016: Theater and Music
-United Performers Studio (Yoko Narahashi)  2016-2017: Method Acting

[ Writing ]
-“Saku’s Radio from Chicago” 2019-
-“Saku’s Comedy Night”  2015-
-“Human Rights Samurai” 2017