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A stand-up comedian’s journey: nothing to lose
Shuhei “Shoe” Murakami is a Japanese stand-up comedian who has performed at comedy venues in the USA, Canada and Japan. In addition to stand-up comedy, he’s also an English teacher at a junior high school in Tokyo. After almost dropping out of high school, Shuhei began to study, learned English, completed university to become a teacher, but first went traveling in Southeast Asia after graduation. In Cambodia, he fell prey to an elaborate scam that resulted in his losing all his money. Penniless, homeless in a faraway land and bolstered only by his wits and the English he studied so hard to learn, Shuhei took on every challenge and turned it into his next opportunity. He learned that when you’re at the bottom, the only way to go is up.
In this interview, Shuhei guides us through highlights of the fascinating journey that he took from the streets of Phnom Penh to the comedy stages of New York and Toronto. He explains some of what he learned during those years: how to take what life brings; and how sometimes the greatest range of opportunities and sources of strength come not from focusing on some distant life goal, but rather from following one’s heart, accepting each moment in the present, and moving ahead.
Shuhei outlines how he got started in comedy, tells the story of how he went to the USA to try his hand at it, then moved to Canada to be a stand-up comedian. Serendipity and luck play a solid role in this part of the journey, too. His humor combines the witty observations of an outside perspective with narratives and punches that draw on his experiences as a Japanese person used to making his way outside Japan. He also talks about the differences between stand-up comedy and the types of comedy that are popular in Japan.
As an English teacher at a public school, he speaks forthrightly about the ups and downs of teaching English within Japan’s educational system. Japan’s lackluster scores in English proficiency when compared globally are well-known. Shuhei tells us why. To paraphrase his metaphor: Japanese schools teach pupils to memorize the ingredients, but not how to cook, so they don’t get to eat what they make. Consequently, they remain unmotivated, and give up on their dreams. He wants his students to find what they are passionate about and pursue it, whatever it is. And armed with good English, the entire world can be their stage.
The story of Shuhei Murakami reminds us that as we continue to accumulate experiences, we should identify the humor in them, until one day we can look back and realize that the funniest thing in life—if lived freely and true to oneself—can be the journey of life itself.
Shuhei Murakami on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWNr34ixo_7YofviTonuQZQ
Shuhei Murakami on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/shuhei.murakami.9/
Shuhei Murakami on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/japanese_standupcomedian/
Sharky Bar video:
https://youtu.be/6xJggKeETcE
Good Times bar video:
https://youtu.be/sCbzgT-grRM
Video clip of Shuhei Murakami on stage is used with permission of the content owner.
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