Kinichi Hagimoto

Honestly, you can't talk about the golden age of Japanese TV without this guy. They called him the "100% ratings man" because in the early '80s he was somehow carrying three weekly shows at once and crushing the numbers on all of them, which stops sounding like a career and starts sounding like a force of nature. What I love most is his instinct for putting ordinary, untrained people on stage and turning their nervous fumbling into the funniest thing on television. With Cha Kato in Konto 55-go he was all manic energy, but his real signature was a kind of warmth, comedy that never had to wound anyone to land. And then the man enrolls in university in his seventies, just because he was curious. You can't help rooting for someone whose appetite for life is that gloriously outsized.

Kinichi Hagimoto, born May 7, 1941, in Taito, Tokyo, is one of Japan's most influential comedians and television personalities. He began his career in 1960 at the Asakusa Toyo Theater and rose to national fame after forming the comedy duo Konto 55-go with Jiro Sakagami in 1966. During the 1980s he simultaneously hosted three top-rated weekly television programs, earning the nickname "Mr. 100% Ratings." Beyond entertainment, he founded the amateur baseball club Ibaraki Golden Golds in 2005 and enrolled at Komazawa University at the age of 73.

Name (English)

Kinichi Hagimoto

Name (Japanese)

萩本欽一

Reading

はぎもときんいち

Born

May 7, 1941 (age 85)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Taurus / Snake (Mi)

Origin

Taito, Tokyo, Japan (raised in Urawa, Saitama)

Blood type

A

Height

164 cm

Agency

Asai Kikaku (in business partnership with Hagimoto Kikaku)

Agency history

Asakusa Toyo Theater (from 1960)

Active years

1960 – present

Occupation

Comedian / Television host / Film director / Baseball team manager

Elementary school

Saitama Municipal Takasago Elementary School

Junior high

Private

High school

Komagome High School

University

Komazawa University, Faculty of Buddhism (enrolled 2015, withdrew 2019)

Debut

In 1960, joined the Asakusa Toyo Theater to train as a comedian. In 1966, formed the comedy duo Konto 55-go with Jiro Sakagami and made his television debut.

Awards & achievements

• 1969 – Golden Arrow Award, Special Prize
• 1976 – Golden Arrow Award
• 1983 – Mobil Children's Culture Award
• 1994 – 37th Blue Ribbon Award, Special Prize (Kinchan no Cinema Jack)
• 1998 – Nagano Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony, General Master of Ceremonies (special contribution)

Timeline

1. 1941Born in Shitaya Ward, Tokyo (present-day Taito, Tokyo)
2. 1960After graduating from Komagome High School, joined the Asakusa Toyo Theater to train as a comedian
3. 1966Formed comedy duo Konto 55-go with Jiro Sakagami; became hugely popular on television
4. 1971Began hosting Star Tanjou!, marking the full-scale start of his solo hosting career
5. 1975Kinchan no Don to Yatte Miyou! began broadcasting; married Sumiko Hagimoto
6. 1982Kinchan no Shuukan Kin'youbi began; earned the nickname 'Mr. 100% Ratings' for dominating ratings across three weekly programs
7. 1985Announced a hiatus from entertainment activities
8. 2005Founded amateur baseball club Ibaraki Golden Golds and became its manager
9. 2010Stepped down as manager of Ibaraki Golden Golds
10. 2015Enrolled at Komazawa University Faculty of Buddhism via adult admission at age 73
11. 2019Voluntarily withdrew from Komazawa University

Spouse

Sumiko Hagimoto (married 1975; died August 28, 2020, age 82)

Children

Three sons: Kazudo (eldest), Koshi (second), Seikuro (third)

Parents

Private

Siblings

Older brother: Isao Hagimoto (chairman of Pluslon Cosmetics); younger brother: Yoshihisa Hagimoto (former principal of Tokyo Soka Elementary School)

Hobbies

• Baseball (Yomiuri Giants fan)
• Shogi — amateur 4-dan ranked
• Horse racing (racehorse owner)

Specialties

• Improvisational comedy sketch
• Impressions / mimicry

Motto

Private

• Official sitehttp://asaikikaku.co.jp/talent/profile/hagimotokinichi
• Xhttps://twitter.com/kinchan_staff
• YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP2MP4TvwGrKj7D55MJSQuw
• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%90%A9%E6%9C%AC%E6%AC%BD%E4%B8%80

Tags

• comedian
• television host
• Taito Tokyo
• Asai Kikaku
• Konto 55-go
• Kinchan
• Kasou Taishou
• Showa comedy

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.