Essay

Second row at the hina-dan

By 桂三輝

Last week, I had an opportunity to participate in a very unique aspect of Japanese talk-show culture: the hina-dan. This is the two or three levels of tiered seats where a chorus of personalities numbering anywhere from four to 20 or more sit and take part in the show's various conversations. The word hina-dan means "Princess Tiers" and comes from the rows of dolls arranged in tiers for the Japanese doll festival March 3.

On a typical show, the front row of the hina-dan includes an assortment of famous guests. These could be actors, actresses, singers and other top stars. The second row, sitting slightly higher, includes the "hina-dan geinin," or supporting comedians.

When I got my first taste of Japanese television years back, this style of talk show looked to me to be very chaotic. In North America, equivalent talk shows featuring a famous comedian as host, such as The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson or The Late Show with David Letterman, include far fewer people conversing at once, and focused on the two-way conversation between the host and one guest at a time.So you can imagine how crazy the Japanese version, with 10 or more people talking at once, must have seemed to me at first.

However, the job of the hina-dan comedian is actually extremely complex and requires years of experience, and great sensitivity and sense of time, place, occasion, etc. The Japanese have a phrase, kuuki wo yomu, which means "read the air," or be sensitive to the atmosphere. This is perhaps the most important skill of the comedian placed in this situation.

As one veteran of the hina-dan explained to me, the job requires much more than just being funny and getting laughs oneself. The comedian on this second tier is there in a supporting role, so his main job is to make the entire conversation go smoothly, and to make the show seem interesting and lively. This requires great listening skills. They are there to bring out the best in the famous and important guests.

The supporting comedians also must work together as a team, forever conscious of each other's kyara, or comedic character, and must know when to take the ball and run with it, or to pass or defer to another, so to speak, depending on the comic flow of the situation.

The seating arrangement is also rigidly organized, with the more popular comedian near the center, manzai (two-person) comedians on the left and pin, or solo comedians on the right.

Having had the opportunity to try this job myself, I realize how difficult and complex it is. In my two or three tries, I have barely gotten a word in edgeways! However, when I watch a Japanese talk show now, I certainly have a much deeper appreciation for the work that the hina-dan comedians are doing.

＊第5パラグラフ最後の一文は、テキストでは They are there to bring out the best in the famous and important guests. ですが、音声ではThey must make the more famous guests comfortable and generally bring out the best in the famous or important guests. になっています。これは紙面編集時の修正が音声収録時のテキストに反映されなかったことが原因です。ご不便をおかけしましたこと、お詫び申し上げます。

Shukan ST: April 22, 2011

(C) All rights reserved