The Neural Network of Humor: Five Central Nodes of Contemporary Japanese Comedy and Their Philosophical Dimensions

This paper examines five central comedians and groups in contemporary Japanese comedy—Nakagawake, Bakushou Mondai, Kendou Kobayashi, OgiYahagi, and Bananaman— as an interconnected “Neural Network of Humor.” Each represents a distinct sen- sory and philosophical domain: phonetic rhythm (Nakagawake), dialectical intelli- gence (Bakushou Mondai), corporeal myth (Kendou Kobayashi), atmospheric rel- ativism (OgiYahagi), and narrative emotion (Bananaman). Through comparative analysis with Western comedians (Robin Williams, George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Larry David, Monty Python, etc.), this study argues that Japanese humor functions as an ethical and relational structure rather than as individual expression. Philo- sophically, it draws upon structuralism (L´evi-Strauss), phenomenology (Merleau- Ponty), and ethical realism (Levinas, Bonhoeffer) to propose that laughter serves as a cultural immune system maintaining relational balance within society.