Shingo Yanagisawa Confesses to a Job He Refuses to Do: “I Haven’t Appeared in That Since”

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The story

Actor Shingo Yanagisawa (64) appeared on TOKYO FM’s late-night program “TOKYO SPEAKEASY” on September 14, and during a conversation with fellow entertainer Kunikazu Katsumata, revealed that there’s a type of job he now refuses to take. The topic arose when he named the period drama “Tōyama no Kin-san” as one of the productions where he co-starred with a big-name veteran early in his career. On the 5ch thread, though, the discussion centered less on that revelation itself and more on nostalgia for Yanagisawa’s trademark impressions and signature bits like “Abayo” (his catchphrase farewell) and his “open reel” gag, along with stories about working alongside veteran actors like Tomisaburo Wakayama.

Shingo Yanagisawa Comes Clean About a Job He Refuses: “I Haven’t Appeared in That Since,” “I Realized It Just Wasn’t for Me”

Actor Shingo Yanagisawa (64) appeared on TOKYO FM’s late-night program “TOKYO SPEAKEASY” (Mon-Thu, 1:00 AM) on the 14th, where he had a moment revealing a job he now avoids.

He appeared that day alongside TV personality Kunikazu Katsumata. While talking about his early career, Katsumata asked, “What was the first drama or movie you did with a big-name star?” Yanagisawa named the period drama “Tōyama no Kin-san.”

Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Read the original article here

What people said

5AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:21
The Tomisaburo Wakayama and Tetsuo Ishitate stories are a sure thing, never fail to land
7AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:23
That's not it!

That's not it, boss!
8AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:23
The one-hit wonder of ceremonial first-pitch routines
69AnonymousSep 15, 2026 23:13
Re: #8
His cigarette walkie-talkie bit from "Police 24 Hours" is one of a kind
10AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:25
Yanagizawa Shingooo~
34AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:53
Re: #10
That just played in my head lol
53AnonymousSep 15, 2026 22:21
Re: #10
The fact that the great Wakayama kept shouting his real name shows he liked him.
Sounds like he was actually doted on after that.
11AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:25
Apparently Tetsuko Kuroyanagi once blurted out the answer to question 2 while they were still on question 1, and the whole studio went dead silent.
14AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:26
Shingo-chan is hilarious
Lame comedians should take notes
25AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:40
Re: #14
I mean, he even gets booked for the variety-arts segment on Shōten (the long-running rakugo comedy show)
16AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:27
This guy's actually pretty mysterious underneath
Feels like he's always performing
18AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:34
Re: #16
Well, he's blood type AB (stereotyped in Japan as mysterious/dual-natured)
23AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:39
Re: #16
He's actually super friendly
Back when I had a part-time job trimming the hedges in the parking lot at Midoriyama Studio, he greeted me with an "otsukare" (good work) as he walked by
He was driving a sweet Jeep Cherokee
37AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:57
Re: #16
Apparently he's the quiet type at home lol
Probably just a serious guy underneath
17AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:32
Why isn't "Fuzoroi no Ringotachi" ("The Uneven Apples," a famous '80s drama) available to stream?
Is it because Mariko Ishihara is off-limits?
19AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:35
Being able to turn down work and still have plenty coming in — that's what makes him a big name
20AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:38
He's probably really well-liked within the industry
21AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:38
Kind of want to see a travel show with the trio of Yanagisawa, Katsumata, and Zakiyama
31AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:50
Re: #21
Nah, his travel segments with Nan-chan (of the comedy duo Uchan Nanchan) are the best
28AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:43
Shimura & Tokoro's New Year's Battle (New Year's Day, 2005)
Tomomi Nishimura, Shingo Yanagisawa

Rusty-Driver Showdown
Tomomi Nishimura attempts to park Shingo Yanagisawa's Mercedes-Benz S600 in the garage

Mercedes-Benz S600 with Lorinser styling
4th-generation W220

35AnonymousSep 15, 2026 21:55
Re: #28
Akiko Wada vs. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi in pachinko
And that final daifuku (rice cake) game with the weird stuff hidden inside

TV was great back in that era
43AnonymousSep 15, 2026 22:07
Re: #28
Versus Hanako Yamada
63AnonymousSep 15, 2026 22:48
Re: #28
"Abayo" ties it all together
It's a magic word only Shingo Yanagisawa can pull off
39AnonymousSep 15, 2026 22:00
I wish they'd release a complete DVD set of all his bits and talk segments
A lot of it just isn't available anymore
Would be even better if they filmed new material too
55AnonymousSep 15, 2026 22:25
Re: #39
Wouldn't used copies work?
42AnonymousSep 15, 2026 22:05
I'm on Tetsuko's Room tomorrow! Abayo 👍
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/4167a20a2039b897f12ea4fa5730de8c10ecb1bc
51AnonymousSep 15, 2026 22:19
Re: #42
Set my recording for it
48AnonymousSep 15, 2026 22:17
Re: #7
Shut up! Zip it, you old fart!
60AnonymousSep 15, 2026 22:39
Re: #48
You just tacked on two extra lines there, didn't you
71AnonymousSep 15, 2026 23:21
Re: #60
Open reel: "kyuru kyuru kyuru kyuru" (the whirring tape-reel sound effect)
79AnonymousSep 15, 2026 23:30
Re: #60
I-it wasn't me! Director Matsuo told me to say it!
56AnonymousSep 15, 2026 22:32
Kind of want to go see a Shingo Yanagisawa live show
57AnonymousSep 15, 2026 22:33
Re: #56
>Shingo Yanagisawa live show
Wondered if he actually does those often
Turns out he does
https://yanagisawa-tour.com
The first run sold out and the second round of tickets just opened
59AnonymousSep 15, 2026 22:39
Not sure period dramas are really his thing lol
61AnonymousSep 15, 2026 22:42
Re: #59
He's actually quietly been cast in Taiga dramas (NHK's big annual historical drama) lol — he had a decent number of lines in "Yae no Sakura" and fit right in
72AnonymousSep 15, 2026 23:23
Re: #61
"Yae no Sakura" was good
He blended in surprisingly well, no awkwardness at all

Background and Key Points of This Topic

The source material for this article is a segment from TOKYO FM’s late-night program “TOKYO SPEAKEASY,” aired on the 14th, in which Shingo Yanagisawa revealed during a conversation with Kunikazu Katsumata that there’s a job he now refuses to take. The quoted excerpt names the period drama “Tōyama no Kin-san” as one of the productions where he co-starred with a big-name veteran early in his career, but exactly which job he’s turned down and why is left to the rest of the original article — it can’t be determined from the thread’s comments. What actually got the thread buzzing wasn’t the main topic but Yanagisawa’s signature material: his “open reel” bit, his radio-impression routine, stories about co-starring with veterans like Tomisaburo Wakayama and Tetsuo Ishitate, and his role in the NHK Taiga drama “Yae no Sakura” — mostly nostalgia for the comedic style and acting career he’s built over the years. A few comments did include unverified claims that Yanagisawa’s behavior had upset a specific individual, along with pushback against those claims, but since none of this could be confirmed, it has been left out of this article.

※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou Sports Express+) thread “[Entertainment] Shingo Yanagisawa Comes Clean About a Job He Won’t Do: “I Haven’t Appeared in That Since,” “I Realized It Just Wasn’t for Me”.”

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