Photo: Original uploader was Sanjo at ja.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
When a comedian becomes a governor, I expect a punchline. Hideo Higashikokubaru, who performed as Sonomanma Higashi and was Beat Takeshi's first apprentice, refused to supply one. His vow to do something about Miyazaki became a 2007 phrase of the year, he served his full term, and then, the part that still surprises me, he declined to seek a second one. Since then he has lost a Tokyo gubernatorial race while drawing 1.69 million votes, held a Diet seat briefly, and come up short in Miyazaki again. He loses loudly and comes back anyway. Underneath the television career, he is a craftsman.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Hideo Higashikokubaru
- Name (Japanese)
- 東国原英夫
- Born
- September 16, 1957 (age 68)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Rooster
- Origin
- Miyakonojō, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan
- Height
- 171 cm
- Occupation
- politician / tarento / film actor / comedian / television actor
2. Background
- University
- Senshu University
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Hideo Higashikokubaru born?
Born September 16, 1957 (age 68).
Where is Hideo Higashikokubaru from?
Hideo Higashikokubaru is from Miyakonojō, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.
What does Hideo Higashikokubaru do?
Hideo Higashikokubaru works as politician, tarento, film actor, comedian, television actor.
How tall is Hideo Higashikokubaru?
Hideo Higashikokubaru is 171 cm.
Politician — see all → · Tarento — see all → · More people from Japan →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-07-26
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.