Skip to main content
NEWS EVENT SPECIAL SERIES

Director and YouTuber Ricchan of Kayac Talks about Play and Work

2023.6.19

#MOVIE

A circle of friends connected by goof-touch! The “FIST BUMP” corner of the radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features people who live and enjoy Tokyo in a relay format.

On May 29, director and YouTuber Ricchan of “Funny Corporation Kayak” will appear. We asked him about the reason why he started his YouTube channel “Bonbon TV,” which has over 2 million subscribers, why he was able to increase the number of subscribers, what he does at “Kayak Funny Corporation,” and his recommended events in Zushi.

How the YouTube channel “Bonbon TV” grew to over 2 million subscribers

Celeina (MC): Let me start with a brief profile: In 2016, after graduating from Waseda University, I joined UUUM Corporation. You were also in charge of planning, filming, and editing while appearing on Kodansha and UUUM’s YouTube channel “Bonbon TV,” which had about 100,000 subscribers at the time. In about a year and a half, the channel grew to 1 million subscribers, and by 2020, it had grown to 2 million subscribers. In 2021, he joined “Kayac Entertainment” as a director based on his experience at YouTube.

Takano (MC): So, we have a Kayak connection.

Ricchan: That’s right. Thank you so much. Mr. Basti.

Takano: I am called “Mr. Basti,” with only the “Basti” in the middle of “Sebastian” being extracted. Kayakers have a culture of calling people by their nicknames.

Celeina: What do they call you, Ricchan?

Ricchan: I am Rikchan.

Celeina: I see (laughs).

Takano: I was surprised when Ricchan joined the company. Ricchan from that “Bonbon TV”! I was like, “Oh my God, Ricchan!

Ricchan: No, no, no… (laughs).

Celeina: What made you decide to start YouTube in the first place?

Ricchan: When I was in college, a friend told me about YouTuber Hajime Chacho’s YouTube channel. I also thought that if I worked hard on YouTube, I could make friends with fun people like that.

Takano: In a lighthearted way.

Ricchan: That’s right.

Celeina: So you decided to do YouTube and joined BonBon TV.

Ricchan: Yes, I did.

Celeina: What do you do on Bonbon TV?

Ricchan: We do some common challenge projects such as tag games, and short dramas of about 10 minutes. Our main target audience is elementary school students, so we do a lot of projects to keep the child in mind.

Celeina: So, most of the viewers are elementary school students, right?

Ricchan: Probably 70 to 80% of the viewers are elementary school students.

Takano: The members all seem to be having a good time.

Ricchan: That’s right. The members get along well with each other. It’s like we are having a good time together, and we want everyone to see us having fun.

Celeina: As I mentioned in my profile, you have been increasing the number of subscribers to your channel at a very fast rate. I would like to ask you how to increase the number of subscribers to your channel (laughs).

Ricchan: I think I probably started around 2015 or 2016, so the timing was great, and also the people I worked with were really good friends and we got along well.

Takano: I see. You can feel the good vibes.

Ricchan: That’s right. If I am not having fun, the audience will not be able to have fun either. I always try to enjoy myself.

Celeina: With the increase of social networking sites, we are being viewed from various perspectives. When you are in such a position, is it important to convey your true feelings of enjoying yourself in a realistic way?

Ricchan: Yes, I think so.

Takano: Look at Ricchan’s fashion today. That’s the kind of mindset that makes you enjoy yourself even on rainy days.

Ricchan: Yes, that’s right.

Takano: By the way, are there any other interesting projects in the program besides tag?

Ricchan: In the past, we used to make slime. We also used to do things like cardboard crafts. We made a vending machine out of cardboard, or a typical house. I also used to play with gakacha-gacha. I made so many GACHA-GACHA that I even sold them as merchandise. Like cardboard Gacha-gacha kits.

Celeina: I would love to have one. I want to be the parent who buys it.

Takano: On the parents’ side (laughs).

From YouTuber to businessman of an interesting corporation

Celeina: And now that you are the director of Kayac, what are you doing nowadays?

Ricchan: Recently, I’ve been working as a salaryman. I’m a typical director. I do a lot of things as a director, such as facilitating the production of various contents, and also communicating with clients. I feel like a typical creative salaryman.

Celeina: Rikchan, because he is a communicator.

Takano: You’re amazing. You are a monster.

Ricchan: No, no (laughs).

Celeina: I’m sure it will be very useful for business as well.

Ricchan: I hope so.

Takano: It fits with the atmosphere of Kayac.

Ricchan: I really think so. I’m having a lot of fun right now.

Takano: I’m having a lot of fun: I also brainstorm and come up with ideas together. It’s a fun company with a lively atmosphere.

Ricchan: It’s free and fun.

Celeina: And Ricchan, I heard that you recently started a podcast.

Ricchan: That’s right. I moved to Zushi when I joined Kayak, and I’m doing a podcast with a friend I met at an izakaya in Zushi called “Tonari mo Berokichi.

Takano: Kayac is a company located in Kamakura, right?

Ricchan: That’s right.

Celeina: What do you talk about?

Ricchan: We talk about trivial things like we do over drinks (laughs).

Takano: Specifically?

Ricchan: I’m not sure if this is safe to broadcast, but one of the most popular topics is that we don’t know when to throw away our pants (laughs).

Takano: I see. Everyone gets lost (laughs).

Ricchan: We talk about that passionately.

Celeina: I’d like to check it out (laughs).

Ricchan: I’d love to.

Takano: Now, here is a song that Ricchan has chosen for us. What song would you like to listen to together on the radio at this time of the day?

Ricchan: It’s a song called “Golden” in the Sheep Literature.

Takano: May I ask why?

Ricchan: I’ve recently been into YOJI Bungaku, and I chose this song because I thought it was the perfect tune for this ambiguous time of 16:00, which is neither morning, noon, nor night.

The most enjoyable film festival and fireworks display on Zushi Beach

Celeina: Rikchan, since you live in Zushi, do you have any recent hot topics in Zushi?

Ricchan: The Zushi Beach Film Festival was held around Golden Week, and it was such a fashionable and sparkling event that it seemed to be the most popular time of the year for Instagrammers to gather in Zushi. I had never been to one before, but I decided that since I live in Zushi, I would definitely go. Then I heard from a fellow Zushi worker that they were looking for volunteers. I thought it would be more fun and I would be able to make new friends, so I volunteered, even if it was only for a day.

Celeina: What did you do?

Ricchan: There was a restaurant, and I was there to call out to people, saying, “What number are you?

Celeina: So you can do that kind of work as a volunteer?

Ricchan: I have a big voice, so I thought I was perfect for the job.

Takano: You are suited for that kind of work, aren’t you?

Ricchan: I was told that since I was volunteering, I could have a drink while doing it, so I had a lot of fun with my friends who were doing the podcast. At night, the restaurants were free, so we would catch a movie or two, and it was fun.

Takano: The location is amazing, isn’t it?

Ricchan: We held the event on the beach, so the ocean felt very close. There is also a tiny merry-go-round, which looks great.

Celeina: Every year, the advance tickets are sold out immediately. I know that, and I want to go, but I always give up because I can’t get tickets.

Takano: A volunteer course might be a good idea.

Ricchan: That’s true. Also, there is a fireworks display at Zushi Beach on May 26. It is said to be the earliest fireworks display in the Kanto area, and it was held for the first time in four years. Everyone watches from the beach, so it’s really close. I happened to have a friend of mine in Zushi show me the fireworks from the rooftop of his house, which was very close to the beach.

Takano: Life changes depending on where you live, doesn’t it?

Ricchan: I feel much better after moving here. I wasn’t sick, but I became more energetic and open-minded. Also, I think it’s nice that everyone who lives here is relaxed, and many people like the ocean and nature.

Celeina: That’s great! Rik-chan, if you have any future plans for your work, please let us know.

Ricchan: Basically, I work as a salaried employee and do a few YouTube appearances a month. I’m also working on TikTok to show the good points of Kayac together.

Takano: Kayac is a very strange company. They decide salaries with dice. They also tell us about interesting systems like that.

Ricchan: That’s how I feel.

Celeina: I’m going to watch Rikchan’s TikTok right now (laughs).

@ricchan_kayac

Ricchan: Thank you so much.

Celeina: FIST BUMP is a circle of friends connected by GooTouch, and you introduce your friends to us.

Ricchan: Yes, I do. He used to work in construction and apparel, and is now the owner of TEN CLUB, a standing bar in Koenji.

Takano: What is your connection to him?

Ricchan: I used to live in Koenji before I moved to Zushi. He is the owner of the bar where I went with my friends for drinks in Koenji.

Celeina: Rikchan’s vitality.

Takano: How would you describe it in one word?

Ricchan: I’m a bar owner who can’t drink.

Takano: Thank you very much. Tomorrow we welcome Mr. Takeshi Shimizu, owner of TEN CLUB, a standing bar in Koenji where you can’t drink alcohol.

Celeina: FIST BUMP, today I’m Norichan, director and YouTuber at Kayac Funny Corporation. Thank you very much.

Ricchan: Thank you very much.

GRAND MARQUEE

J-WAVE (81.3FM) Mon-Thu 16:00 – 18:50
Navigator: Shinya Takano, Celeina Ann

RECOMMEND

NiEW’S PLAYLIST

NiEW recommends alternative music🆕

NiEW Best Music is a playlist featuring artists leading the music scene and offering alternative styles in our rapidly evolving society. Hailing from Tokyo, the NiEW editorial team proudly curates outstanding music that transcends size, genre, and nationality.

EVENTS