Promoting Security Through "Comedy Manzai"? ... Japanese Government's Controversial 150 Million Yen Project

Japan produces comedy-style post to promote security policies
"Wife asks, husband answers"... criticized as patriarchal, too

The Japanese government has sparked controversy by producing promotional material in the style of a husband-and-wife comedy duo to promote its security policies. Criticism has focused not only on the contractor and production costs, but also on the use of an entertainment format to communicate the sensitive subject of national security.

The Tokyo Shimbun reported on November 6 that a manzai-style security promotional video titled "Government PR with Kunio and Tamiyo," recently posted by the Japanese government on Government Public Relations Online, has caused a stir.

Manzai is a form of comedy in which two people typically exchange lines to tell a story. It is particularly popular in Japan's Kansai region, and the promotional video features a married couple who speak in the Kansai dialect. The husband, Kunio, and his wife, Tamiyo, discuss the connection between security policies and everyday life. In the video, the wife asks questions such as, "People talk about changes in the security environment and strengthening defense capabilities, but I don't really understand," and, "Did you know that Japan's destroyers help support our daily lives?" The husband replies, "Security isn't about some faraway country. It's about protecting our everyday lives."

Yoshimoto Kogyo, a major Japanese comedy production company, took part in making the video. The contract ceiling for the project is reportedly 150 million yen (approximately 1.28 billion won). Yoshimoto Kogyo won the contract through competitive bidding.

However, questions have been raised about whether it is appropriate to use an entertainment format such as manzai to promote the government's security policies. Critics say that making humor the centerpiece of a promotional campaign is inappropriate, given that security policy is a grave matter directly tied to people's lives and national safety. At the House of Councillors' Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defense on November 5, opposition lawmakers criticized the project, asking, "Is it acceptable to turn security, which concerns people's lives, into manzai?"

The format, in which the wife asks questions and the husband answers them, has also drawn criticism as overly male-centered. Maiko Tajima, a lawmaker from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, said, "It feels patriarchal for a man to teach a woman."

Meanwhile, Japan has recently been working to strengthen its defense capabilities by changing the framework of its security system. In April 2026, it began moving toward arms exports after, in principle, allowing the export of weapons with lethal capabilities. It is also seeking to scrap the "ban on introduction" principle, one of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles, and introduce nuclear-powered submarines.

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