Harukaze Kouta, Veteran Asakusa Comedian and Kind Guide, Passes Away

I was able to catch Harukaze Fukuta (right) doing his trademark bite into Kouta (left) on stage at the Toyokan in Asakusa a few years ago.

April 13th, 2021- With a change in jobs, a move to Tokyo, and the passing of my father in the last few months I have been too busy recently to write anything for this site but tonight I was informed of some news that I just had to report. Today, manzaishi Harukaze Kouta, a comedian who was so kind and helpful when I was conducting my research during graduate school, passed away. When I first begun this website, one of the first comedian duos that I interviewed was Kouta and his partner Fukuta. (You can read the interview here) And after I was first granted access to the backstage area of the Toyokan in Asakusa to interview and observe comedians, it was Kouta who took me under his wing, making sure I talked to the right people and knew how things worked. It was backstage where I was able to see just how much Kouta enjoyed the business of making people laugh and the art of manzai. Often, I would catch him laughing while watching the young acts on stage from behind one of the spotlight wells backstage. Health problems prevented him from taking the stage for most of the last year but when I was able to catch him on the phone he still had that kind, unpretentious nature. He will be missed.

Harukaze Kouta (left), myself, and Fukuta (right), backstage at the Toyokan in Asakusa.