Hitoshi Matsumoto

is a Japanese comedian and filmmaker. He is one half of the comedy duo Downtown, alongside Masatoshi Hamada, and is one of the most popular comedians in Japan. He was born in Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture. 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. Early life Matsumoto was born in Amagasaki, Hyōgo, to a poor family. He has one older sister and one older brother, , an established folk guitarist who released an autobiographical book titled . He has expressed his feelings about growing up in a poor household in a poem titled which Hamada turned into a song in 2004. In his poem, he wrote how laughter was the only way to get through those times. 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.