[Japanese Side] "Let's Change the Government Instead of the Constitution"... Political Satire Specialist Comedian

Political Satire in a One-Person Play... Matsumoto Hiro
Gains Attention for Voicing Nuclear Power Issues in Asahi Shimbun

One of the common images we have about Japan is that "the people are not interested in politics." In fact, Japan's declining voter turnout has become an issue every election. The atmosphere, which makes it difficult to voice opinions against the ruling party, also plays a part.

Nevertheless, there are always people who speak out in every country. Asahi Shimbun published an interview this week with a comedian who has been performing a one-man play called "Constitution Army," a satire of the Japanese constitution, for 20 years. Today, we bring you the story of political satirist Matsumoto Hiro.

Last year's performance poster presented by Matsumoto Hiro. (Photo by Matsumoto Hiro SNS)

On the 4th, Asahi Shimbun featured an interview with Matsumoto regarding the issue of high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants. The introduction described him as "a comedian who has sharply satirized those in power through a one-man play and used it as comedic material."

Born in 1952 and now in his seventies, he gained fame for his "Mime News," an improvised pantomime performance based on current news. He also became popular for impersonations of past prime ministers.

He attracted media attention with his one-man play "Constitution Army," which personifies the Japanese constitution. A frequently reported line from the play is: "Hello, I am the Constitution. I turned 70 this year, but I hear I am about to be laid off."

This was meant to counter the constitutional revision efforts advocated by Japan’s far-right. Article 9 of Japan’s pacifist constitution, established after the war, stipulates the permanent renunciation of war and the use of force as a means of settling international disputes. It prohibits maintaining armed forces and renounces the right to belligerency. The Japanese far-right has sought to abolish Article 9 to enable Japan to become a war-capable nation.

In particular, the late former Prime Minister Abe Shinz? made this a key goal during his tenure. Matsumoto satirized this by saying "the constitution is about to be laid off." He has been performing this one-man play for over 20 years.

In the past, the progressive-leaning Tokyo Shimbun reported his line: "They say the constitution doesn’t fit the current government and needs to be changed, but then why not change the government instead?"

By speaking harshly to Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, he earned the nickname "the comedian you can’t see on TV."

In this week’s interview with Asahi Shimbun, he shared his thoughts on nuclear waste in connection with issues such as the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and the restart of nuclear reactors.

He said, "It takes 100,000 years for radioactive waste from nuclear power plants to become safe," and added pointedly, "Modern humans, Homo sapiens, appeared 160,000 years ago, and they spread out of Africa into the world 60,000 years ago."

He continued, "I don’t think we can see the faces of our descendants 100,000 years from now," and said, "Having performed Constitution Army for 20 years, I feel the core of the constitution is respect for the individual. Isn’t it wrong to impose invisible risks on future generations?"

His principled stance in a conservative society has become a topic of discussion within Japan. His efforts not only to entertain people but also to contribute to social change leave a strong impression.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.