is a Japanese comedy duo ''( kombi)'' consisting of Shinji Mizuta (水田信二) and Kenshirō Kawanishi (川西賢志郎). They are employed by Yoshimoto Kogyo, and are mainly active in Tokyo. They were the runners-up of the

M-1 Grand Prix , formerly known as , is an annual Manzai competition planned by Shinsuke Shimada and run by Yoshimoto Kogyo. The supporter Asahi Broadcasting Corporation broadcasts live throughout Japan via All-Nippon News Network. it is the most prevalent m ...

for three years in a row from 2016 to 2018.

Members

* Shinji Mizuta (水田信二), Born April 15, 1980 in Iyo, Ehime. Plays the '' boke''. Mizuta worked as a

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

for 7 seven years in Osaka and

Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...

before becoming a comedian. He was appointed as the sightseeing ambassador of his hometown Iyo, Ehime in 2018. * Kenshirō Kawanishi (川西賢志郎), Born January 29, 1984 in Higashiōsaka, Osaka. Plays the ''

tsukkomi The following glossary of words and terms (generally of Japanese origin) are related to ''owarai'' (Japanese comedy). Many of these terms may be used in areas of Japanese culture beyond comedy, including television and radio, music. Some have be ...

''. Kawanishi played

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

throughout middle school and university in the fly-half (stand-off) position.

Life and career

Both Mizuta and Kawanishi were graduates of the

Yoshimoto NSC The Yoshimoto New Star Creation, commonly called NSC or Yoshimoto Academy, is the comedy school established by Yoshimoto Kogyo in Japan. History There are currently two campuses, the original ''NSC'', established in 1982 in Osaka and the Tokyo br ...

Osaka's 26th generation class. They formed ''Wagyu'' in 2006 and spent the first year and a half struggling for performance opportunities in live theatres. From 2008 to 2012, Wagyu gained popularity through various manzai and comedy competitions, making it to the semi-finals in the

2009 and King of Conte 2010. In 2013, Wagyu became regulars on various variety programs and were known mainly for their manzai, which got them to the finals of ''The Manzai'' in 2014 and M-1 Grand Prix in 2015. Wagyu's popularity increased in 2016 after again making it to the finals of M-1 Grand Prix by winning the Second Chance competition. They were the fastest selling young comedians of Yoshimoto with live tickets often sold out instantly.『今、最もライブチケットが取りにくいと言われる芸人「和牛」初DVD『和牛漫才ライブ2017～全国ツアーの密着ドキュメントを添えて～』発売決定！』
��タワーレコード）2017-09-04 They then moved to Tokyo to further their career in 2017, and held live tours across the country.『和牛、M-1王者になるための全国ツアー「ほか全部くれてやるから絶対欲しい」』
Natalie) 2017-05-20 They were finalists in M-1 Grand Prix in 2017 and 2018, marking 4 consecutive years as a finalist and 3 consecutive runners-up from 2016 to 2018.
( Nikkan Sports) 2018-12-02

References

External links

Official profile on Yoshimoto Kogyo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wagyu Japanese comedy duos