Beat Takeshi's Birthday (Written 1/18/21)

Written on January 18, 2021.

Today, January 18th, is the Master's birthday.

He turns 74 this year.

Celebrities have different ways of celebrating their birthdays.
Akiko Wada's is probably the most famous.
Every year, the heavyweights of the entertainment industry and members of the Akko Family gather,
and it is held on a grand scale.

Because of the star-studded guest list, people look forward to it being turned into a TV program,
and the year before last, it was even broadcast on Abema.

Of course, I have never participated,
but every year, who the organizer is and how many people attended
become topics of conversation.

I call this ritual the "celebrity visit to Yasukuni Shrine."
(Of course, that's just a comedy bit, just to be clear.)

In contrast, as the Master has gotten older,
his birthdays have become more low-key every year.
He started saying, "When you get old, birthdays aren't anything to be happy about,"
and he stopped calling the troupe together like he used to.
If I happen to meet him in the studio after his birthday and offer my congratulations, he puts his hand to his mouth and goes "shh."

"You don't need to say things like that."
He doesn't like it when his disciples highlight his birthday and make the staff or those around him feel obligated.

When he turned 70, I sent a gift and a personal letter to his home as a celebration for his 70th birthday.
Writing a letter to the Master was something I hadn't done since I applied to be his disciple, so I was nervous.

The content was trivial; I just wrote silly things, the kind a postcard writer would write, just to get a laugh.

The next day, after I finished a live appearance on Fuji TV's "Viking," I was in the car on my way to my next destination when I got a call.

It was the Master!!

Even though I was in a car, I stood at attention.

"Hey, Suidobashi! Your letter made me laugh!
What was that? That was the best.
Man, I laughed and laughed. Anyway, thanks!"

And then he hung up.

I felt like I was floating on air.
Just that alone made me happy for the whole day.
No, it was a happy birthday episode
that I will remember for the rest of my life.