Shinosuke Tatekawa

Birthday: February 15, 1954

Birthplace: Shinminato, Toyama (now part of Imizu)

Real name: Teruo Takeuchi (竹内照雄)

Shinosuke Tatekawa is a rakugo performer best known for bringing the traditional storytelling art to younger audiences. He co-founded Rokunin-no-Kai (Group of Six) in 2003, a comedy collective that's helped make rakugo feel relevant and accessible to modern Japan.

Beyond the stage, he's had a major presence on television. Since 1995, he's been the face of Tameshite Gatten, a popular primetime science and lifestyle show on NHK that became a fixture in Japanese households.