After moving from Japan to Vancouver, Yumi Nagashima found herself in a comedy club on a date. Yumi made her stand-up debut in October of 2016, and suddenly she knew what she’d been born to do. Nagashima has done plenty in 2019, taking her act around the globe, thanks to invitations from Montreal’s Just for Laughs showcase, the Jakarta International Comedy Festival, and Comedy Central Asia in Singapore and the release of her debut comedy album, My Name Is Yumi.
And she’s got ambitions beyond owning stages across the world. These include landing her own sitcom, branching out into film, and creating shorts for her YouTube channel, which has 167,000 subscribers and counting.
How would you describe your comedy style?
Unique, intimate, dry and a little dark.
Who are some of your influences?
Andy Kaufman, Wanda Sykes and Rita Rudner.
Who was your favourite comedian growing up?
Ken Shimura.
Who is your favourite comedian now?
Dusty Slay
What’s your pre-show ritual?
Yoga and Wim Hof breathing.
What’s your favourite place you have performed?
London, England and New York City.
The energy of the audience is electrifying.
What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comedians?
Netflix
Do you have anything to promote right now?
N/A
Where can we follow you?
Tell us a joke.
When I was a child I used to think Snow White was a Japanese lady. She has geisha-like pale skin, black hair and tends to seven ugly white men.
PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?
Hector Rivas. He’s a character!
