Shōten

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Shōten
Genre	Owarai, Variety show
Directed by	Ken Obata, Jin Obata
Starring	Utamaru Katsura (Host) Koyuza Sanyutei Koraku Sanyutei Kikuo Hayashiya Shota Shunputei Rakutaro Sanyutei Taihei Hayashiya Takao Yamada
Theme music composer	Hachidai Nakamura
Production
Executive producer(s)	Motoi Umehara
Location(s)	Korakuen Hall
Running time	24 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	NTV
Picture format	480i (SDTV)
Original airing	May 15, 1966
External links
Official website

Shōten (笑点) is a Japanese TV comedy program, continuously broadcast on Sunday evenings on Nippon TV since 15 May 1966, the second-longest running TV show in Japan.

The show gathers a group of six Japanese rakugo and manzai comedians wearing variously colored kimono sitting in a row, where they compete to make the best jokes, on topics suggested by the host. The person judged to be the most funny, by the host, gains more and more zabuton (Japanese cushions), until he may be sitting on a stack five, six, or more high. Comedians whose jokes are judged to be not funny, or whose responses are not quick enough, may have one or more zabuton removed and end up sitting on the floor. The zabutons used are supposedly extra-heavy ones weighing four kg (9 pounds), so even a stack of ten or more will not topple.

The show is also famous for its catchy theme music written by Hachidai Nakamura. This music has been continuously broadcast since 1969. The titles are written in edomoji, but were originally written to show an animated smiling face.