The Tone of Laughter

What is it about?

This article examines the television work of Japanese comedian Hagimoto Kin'ichi. It investigates, through analysis of popular criticism on the comedian, the notion that his comedy created a uniquely "warm" laughter, and considers the consequences of that assertion, particularly for the relationship between gender and 1970s Japanese television.

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Why is it important?

This article brings to English language scholarship a focused study of Japanese television comedy and its laughter--a subdivision of media culture that holds a privileged place in the media landscape in Japan, but which remains understudied in academic criticism. It further highlights how discourses on the affective dimension of television shaped its reception and growing clout within Japan during the 1970s.