About Downtown

 Downtown (ダウンタウン) is a Japanese comedy duo (kombi) from Amagasaki, Hyōgo consisting of Hitoshi Matsumoto (松本 人志) and Masatoshi Hamada (浜田 雅功). Formed in 1983, they are one of the most influential and prolific kombi in Japan today.^[1] They are best known for their stand-up acts, hosting numerous Japanese variety shows (such as Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!! and Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ) and their sarcastic, short-tempered stage personas.
As a result of their massive popularity and the relative domination of their employer, Yoshimoto Kōgyō, the Kansai dialect (in which both performers usually speak) has come to be associated with Japanese comedy (owarai) as a whole.

1.Members

Masatoshi Hamada (浜田 雅功)

Born May 11, 1963 in Naniwa-ku, Osaka and raised in Amagasaki, Hyōgo. Plays the tsukkomi. Married to actress Natsumi Ogawa with two sons. Also known as "Hama-chan" (浜ちゃん). His quick temper, displays of schadenfreude, and tendency to whap people on their heads are notorious in the owarai world. He is often described as "sadistic". Was referred to as Hama-chon by Matsumoto earlier in his career.

Hitoshi Matsumoto (松本 人志)

Born September 8, 1963 in Amagasaki, Hyōgo. Plays the boke. Also known as "Matchan" (松ちゃん). Absurdism, sarcasm, and a blunt, ill-tempered persona make up his comedic style. Deadpan is his forté, but he can slip into exaggerated reactions as well. He is the "M" or masochistic of the duo and was referred to as Mattsun by Hamada while they were young. 

2.Background

Childhood and school years

Matsumoto and Hamada attended and met at Ushio Elementary School in Amagasaki, Hyōgo of the Kansai region. They did not become friends until their second year in Amagasaki Taisei Junior High School, where they both joined the school's broadcasting club and called each other Mattsun (まっつん) and Hama-chon (はまちょん). It is then Matsumoto joked about becoming a comedy duo together and planted the idea into their heads. At the time, Matsumoto was part of a manzai trio called "Koma Daisanshibu" with two of his classmates, Itō and Morioka.
One day, Matsumoto's manzai partner, Itō, had an argument with Hamada which escalated into a street fight. Hamada won, and prompted Matsumoto to leave with him. Matsumoto was unsure of what to do, but started walking in the same direction as Hamada because it was the opposite direction from Itō's house. It is said this incident marked the beginning of Downtown.
They were split apart when they entered different high schools. The boarding school Hamada entered was very strict, and Hamada attempted to escape several times. Whenever he escaped successfully, he called Matsumoto for help, hiding at his home for several days before being caught by his teachers. Hamada repeated the cycle of escaping, calling Matsumoto to borrow money to buy food, and being caught again, throughout his high school years. Matsumoto, on the other hand, entered a local tech school, and became the leader of the school band, but quickly started skipping school to hang out with his girlfriend from middle school.

downtown first performance.

Early career

After graduating, Hamada had an unsuccessful try at becoming a motorboat racer. Hamada invited Matsumoto to join him to become a comedian. At the time, Matsumoto had a job offer from local publishing company, but he decided to join Hamada. Although Matsumoto's comedy talent agency of choice was Shōchicku Geinō, the two went with Hamada's choice and entered the Yoshimoto Kōgyō: NSC (New Star Creation) in Osaka. Their first kombi name was "Matsumoto Hamada." Other names they had were "Hitoshi Masashi," "Teruo-Haruo," and The "Wright Brothers," before settling as "Downtown," a name they picked from a magazine. They made their major debut in 1983.
Matsumoto and Hamada received positive comments from older comedians in NSC, but went without a single chuckle from the audience, sometimes receiving insults from hecklers. They organized performances of their sketches and routines by themselves, but couldn't get people to listen, even if tickets were free. Matsumoto describes these early years as hell, showing his immense frustration and stress during this period. They even considered quitting at one point. Neither made enough money to live on their own, so they had to live with their parents, commuting to the city by train for performances opportunities. Ironically, Matsumoto had to search for a part-time job in a magazine printed by the printing company that he had originally been supposed to enter after graduating high school.

Rise to popularity

Despite the hardships, they gradually increased their fan-base and status. In April 1987 (four years after their debut) they began hosting a local television show called Yoji Desu Yōda ("It's Four O'Clock"), which immediately raised them to idol-like popularity in the region (music singles, videos and photo books in which they posed like fashion models were released), especially among high school girls. After a tearful farewell concert, they ended the show and moved to Tokyo in 1989, making various appearances on low rating TV programs before making their big break with their long-running variety show Downtown no Gaki no Tsukai ya Arahende!!. From that point, they went on to create several other successful variety shows, such as Downtown no Gottsu Ee Kanji, Downtown DX and the music-centric Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ.

source:wikipedia