Shogakusai is a nationwide comedy competition for university students held once a year. The 2026 competition took place in June, and this year’s champions were Yodare Moyo (A Chance of Drool), a comedy trio hailing from the Nagoya University Rakugo Research Society. The members of the trio are Nishida, Matsubara (both third-year students at Nagoya University), and Wakamiya (a third-year student at Aichi University). We interviewed Nishida and Matsubara about their path to victory and their activities at the Nagoya University Rakugo Club.
The first national champions from the Nagoya University Rakugo Research Society
Shogakusai is a nationwide competition hosted by major talent agency Watanabe Entertainment. In 2026, a total of 1,012 teams participated. Last time Yodare Moyo entered, they did not make it past the first round, but this year they advanced smoothly through the competition. After the semifinal, the trio say they lacked confidence, even though their skit — “Graduation Ceremony” — was well-received by judges and audience members alike. Their confidence was restored, however, when they saw that several audience members had posted predictions on social media about which teams would make it to the final round, with Yodare Moyo included on every single list. These predictions proved accurate: it was announced shortly after that Yodare Moyo was one of the three teams to make the last round.
Nerves were high ahead of the final. For their last performance, Yodare Moyo decided to go with the same skit — “Wedding” — they had used in the qualifying round. The team say that the final had its unique challenges, but that they were satisfied with their performance. Indeed, this was the performance that won the Nagoya University Rakugo Research Society their first ever national victory.
The largest university comedy club in central Japan
Yodare Moyo belong to the Nagoya University Rakugo Research Society, a club with a history of over 60 years, and the largest university comedy club in central Japan. Originally, the club focused on rakugo (traditional comic storytelling), but it recently shifted its focus to manzai (two-person comedy acts) and skit-based comedy. The club participates in university comedy competitions, honing their acts through weekly internal performances and monthly live shows. Members enter professional competitions such as M-1, King of Conte, and R-1, and they also organize contests with other universities.
Applying to Nagoya University for its comedy club
Both Nishida and Matsubara have loved comedy since they were children. Matsubara is a fan of Shinku Jessica, a comedy duo who have reached the finals of Japan’s biggest manzai competition — the M-1 Grand Prix — for five consecutive years. When Matsubara was a high school student, he learned that Shinku Jessica had been part of a university comedy club, which prompted him to investigate the university comedy scene. He especially liked Monozu, a member of the Nagoya University Rakugo Research Society. Wanting to join the same club, Matsubara decided to apply to study at Nagoya University.
The skit creation process is short and sweet
Originally, Nishida and Wakamiya were in a trio with another member, but Nishida says they had to disband when the third member got too buff to convincingly play the “old man” role they needed for their skits. After that, Nishida and Wakamiya approached Matsubara, and in October 2024, Yodare Moyo was born.
The trio kick off the skit creation process by deciding on a keyword. Each member then uses that keyword to come up with the outline and punchline for a sketch, which they present to each other a half hour later. When they hit on a good idea, they refine it until they have a skit that is ready to perform. Nishida says their method of coming up with a skit in a short, concentrated chunk of time is relatively uncommon; most other groups are constantly thinking of new ideas without blocking out a specific time for the process. After Yodare Moyo switched up their method, they have found the skit creation process much easier, and that the quality of their ideas has improved as a result. This improvement is reflected in the group’s various successes: in addition to coming first in the Shogakusai, they also flew through the preliminary rounds of the professional King of Conte competition, reaching the quarterfinals. Although they narrowly missed out on advancing to the next stage, their performance succeeded in putting the group’s name on the map.
Post-graduation plans
With their victory at Shogakusai, Yodare Moyo won the right to join Watanabe Entertainment, one of Japan’s major talent agencies. However, both Nishida and Matsubara tell us they have no intention of becoming full-time comedians after they graduate. Matsubara tells us he doesn’t yet know what kind of career he will pursue, but that he intends to keep doing comedy as an amateur, taking part in competitions in his free time.
The members of Yodare Moyo still have many goals they want to achieve before they graduate, including more competitions where they aim to take top prize. They say they want to take their skits to the next level: even if a joke gets a huge laugh once, it can always fall flat at the next show. Their dream, they tell us, is to create a skit that hits the mark every time.
Originally published in Japanese on August 28, 2026
