is a Japanese comedian and filmmaker. He was born in Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture. He is one half of the comedy duo Downtown, alongside Masatoshi Hamada, and is one of the most popular comedians in Japan.
Matsumoto has directed several movies beginning in 2007 with Big Man Japan, in several of which he also starred as the main character. He currently hosts Documental on Amazon Prime.
His Amazon Prime Video series Documental which he created and hosted has been adapted internationally as LOL: Last One Laughing, with versions distributed in more than 25 countries and regions.
In late 2023, the Japanese weekly magazine Shūkan Bunshun published allegations concerning Matsumoto’s conduct at private gatherings, including claims of non-consensual sexual activity. In early 2024, Matsumoto suspended his public entertainment activities while pursuing a defamation lawsuit against the magazine’s publisher. He later withdrew the lawsuit in 2024.
In November 2025, he resumed his entertaiment activities through DOWNTOWN+,a paid streaming service launched that month.
Early life Matsumoto was born in Amagasaki, Hyōgo, to a poor family.
He has expressed his feelings about growing up in a poor household in a poem titled which Hamada turned into a song in 2004. Neowing.co.jp, 2004-11-17. Retrieved on 2008-01-10. In his poem, he wrote how laughter was the only way to get through those times.Lyrics to "Chicken Rice." 2004-12-02. Retrieved on 2008-1-10.
He credits his poverty for giving him a good imagination and sense of play, as it forced him to invent his own games to entertain himself.His favorite manga as a child was Tensai Bakabon by Fujio Akatsuka. He aspired to become a manga artist.
He graduated from Amagasaki Municipal Ushio Elementary School, Amagasaki Municipal Taisei Junior High School, and the mechanical engineering department of Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki Technical High School. His classmates in elementary and junior high school included his future partner Masatoshi Hamada, as well as broadcast writer Mitsuyoshi Takasu. His nickname during elementary and junior high school was “Mattsun.”。
During his elementary school years, his father began receiving invitation tickets to Umeda Kagetsu from his workplace, and the family started attending performances together. This became his first encounter with comedy, and he gradually developed an admiration for becoming a comedian. He later recalled, “Around that time, my personality gradually started to change. I had always been a gloomy child.”
Although he first met Hamada in the lower grades of elementary school, they did not become close at the time because Hamada’s appearance was extremely unusual. Around the fourth grade, he formed a trio called “Koma Third Branch” with friends Ito and Morioka. They each took names such as iron spinning top, wooden spinning top, and plastic spinning top, and were already performing manzai at that time.
Afterward, he continued performing manzai and comedy skits with Ito. He recalled that when they performed a skit for the first time, “it bombed so badly it was unbelievable.”
Junior high school period During junior high school, he often spent time with Ito and Hamada as a group of three. One day, Ito and Hamada had a fight. After it ended, Hamada came up to him and said, “Mattsun, let’s go,” and Matsumoto chose to go with Hamada. Reflecting on that time, Matsumoto stated: “At that moment, I guess I chose Hamada over Ito… (omitted) Even if I had stayed with Ito, I don’t think the two of us would have joined Yoshimoto together. Hamada has initiative… (omitted) He was the one who kept pushing me, saying ‘Let’s join Yoshimoto, let’s go.’”。
Later, during the public recording event Hōsōshitsu Takasu-chan 40th Birthday Festival at Nippon Budokan on December 27, 2003, Ito himself recalled that the cause of the fight was that “Hamada kept teasing my younger brother; at first I laughed, but gradually, as his older brother, I got irritated,” which led to the conflict. He later enrolled in the mechanical engineering department of Hyogo Prefectural Amagasaki Technical High School.
Path to becoming a comedian In 1982, he formed a duo with Hamada and entered NSC (Yoshimoto New Star Creation) as a first-term student of the Osaka school. While enrolled, they performed without a fixed duo name, but in 1983 officially adopted the name “Downtown.” After working primarily in the Kansai region for a time, they moved to Tokyo in 1988 with the program Yume de Aetara.
From 1993 to 1995, he serialized his essays (“Off-Off Downtown”) in Shūkan Asahi, which were later compiled into books titled Isho and Matsumoto. These sold 2.5 million and 2 million copies respectively, occupying the first and second positions in annual book sales rankings in 1995 (according to Tohan).。
In 1994, he held the live show Sun-dome Kaikyō (tentative title), and in 1995, Matsukaze ’95. Sun-dome Kaikyō was a comedy live performance with an admission fee of 10,000 yen, featuring performers such as Koji Imada, Koji Higashino, and Itsuji Itao (130R). Matsukaze ’95 was held at Nippon Budokan with a post-payment system where the audience decided the ticket price, consisting solely of the segment “One comment per photo.”In 1996, Hitori Gottsu began broadcasting. It continued for about two years under changing titles such as Shin Hitori Gottsu and Matsu Gottsu. In December 1998, Hitoshi Matsumoto 24-Hour Ogiri was broadcast.In the summer of 1998, he changed his long-standing slicked-back hairstyle to a shaved head.[Note 2] He explained that the reason was “because constantly fixing my hair messed up by Hamada’s tsukkomi felt uncool.”From 1998 to 1999, he released the VHS series HITOSI MATUMOTO VISUALBUM, which was later released on DVD in 2003.
2000s In 2000, he appeared in the television drama Densetsu no Kyōshi. Matsumoto also created the original concept, and this was his first and effectively last starring role in a drama, as he had maintained a stance of not appearing in dramas (except for cameo appearances).
On October 4, 2001, he began the radio program Hōsōshitsu with Takasu, which continued for approximately seven and a half years until its conclusion on March 28, 2009.
In 2007, he released the film Big Man Japan, for which he served as planner, screenwriter, director, and actor, marking his debut as a film director. The film was invited to the Directors’ Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival. In connection with this, he received the Topic Award at the 8th Beat Takeshi Entertainment Awards hosted by Tokyo Sports in 2008.
From 2001, he served as a judge in the finals of the M-1 Grand Prix. He appeared in all editions except for 2004, 2015, and 2024, making him the judge with the most appearances. In October 2002, Hataraku Ossan Ningyō began airing. It was broadcast early Sunday mornings, and after its conclusion, its successor program Morning Big Taidan aired in the same time slot.
From 2004, he served as host and planner of Hitoshi Matsumoto no Suberanai Hanashi, and from 2009 as chairman of the comedy competition IPPON Grand Prix, also playing a role in discovering and nurturing young talent.
From 2008, he served as MC of King of Conte as part of Downtown. From 2015 onward, Hamada alone served as MC, while Matsumoto became a judge. Since returning as an M-1 judge in 2016, Matsumoto has served as a judge for both M-1 and King of Conte.
On March 28, 2009, Hōsōshitsu ended. He stated that the reason was his desire to reduce occasions where he talked about his private life.Housoushitu(『放送室』)388th,{date=2009-03-7}.The free talk segment on Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!! also ended temporarily with the December 6, 2009 broadcast.
In April 2009, Hitoshi Matsumoto no marumaru na Hanashi began broadcasting, and in April 2010 it moved to a prime-time slot. This was the first time Matsumoto had a solo prime-time show bearing his name.
2010s In June 2010, he suffered a labral tear in his left hip joint and announced a hiatus of about one to two months to undergo surgery. He later returned on August 18, 2010, during a recording of Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!. On October 15, 2010, he appeared in the sketch program MHK, his first such television appearance in nine years, followed by a special episode of Professional: Shigoto no Ryūgi focusing on him on October 16.Since December 2014, he has dyed his hair blond to conceal gray hair and has grown it longer.
In 2016, ''Documental'' began streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The format was later adapted internationally as ''LOL: Last One Laughing'', beginning with a Mexican version in April 2019. As of 2026, localized versions had been produced in more than 25 countries and regions, including Italy, Germany, and France. The format has been described by industry observers as one of the fastest-growing entertainment formats in recent years
From the November 29, 2019 broadcast, he became the third chief of Tantei! Night Scoop, marking the first time he succeeded a previous host in such a role.
2020s On June 12, 2021, the sketch program King of Conte no Kai aired on TBS. This marked the first new television sketch performance in about 20 years since Downtown no Monogottsu Ee Kanji Special (2001).
Regarding reports that the program achieved a household rating of 6.8% (Video Research, Kanto region), Matsumoto commented on Twitter (now X) that the show was a success both in content and ratings, and questioned why media outlets continued to focus on household ratings, emphasizing instead the importance of core audience ratings.
Suspension and return From the beginning of 2024, Matsumoto suspended his entertainment activities in order to focus on legal proceedings against Bungeishunju and the editor-in-chief of Shūkan Bunshun. On November 1, 2025, he resumed activities by appearing in a live broadcast on the paid streaming service “DOWNTOWN+,” operated by Yoshimoto Kogyo and FANY, marking his return after approximately one year and ten months. He stated that he decided to return because he had heard that the Japanese comedy industry was struggling.At the time of the service's launch, a video featuring Matsumoto was released on its official social media accounts. Following the initial broadcast, several new works produced by and starring Matsumoto, along with past Downtown-related content, were made available on the platform.
According to media reports, the official YouTube channel for the service surpassed 200 million cumulative views.
In addition, the number of subscribers was reported to have exceeded 500,000 within approximately 20 days of the service’s registration opening.
Recent activities As of 2026, his activities have primarily centered on content distributed through “DOWNTOWN+,” while his appearances in other media, including commercials, have remained limited.
In March 2026, he appeared in a commercial aired during Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!, marking his first appearance on terrestrial television in approximately two years.
Meanwhile, television networks have stated that a full return to existing terrestrial television programs such as Wednesday's Downtown remains undecided at this stage.
In August 2026, Yoshimoto Kogyo announced the first U.S. adaptation of Documental, created and produced by Hitoshi Matsumoto.The series is produced by Fulwell Entertainment, with Eric Pankowski as showrunner and executive producer alongside Ben Winston and Emma Conway.First released in Japan in 2016, Documental has since been adapted as LOL: Last One Laughing in 25 countries and territories, with over 80 seasons produced worldwide.
Career