Naoki Matayoshi

Naoki Matayoshi (又吉 直樹, Matayoshi Naoki; born June 2, 1980) is a Japanese comedian, screenwriter, and novelist who won the Akutagawa Prize^[1] in 2015 for his book Hibana (火花, Spark), which was adapted into the Netflix series Hibana: Spark.^[2]

Naoki Matayoshi
March 2022
Native name	又吉 直樹
Born	(1980-06-02) June 2, 1980 (age 45) Neyagawa, Osaka, Japan
Medium	Television, novel
Nationality	Japanese
Years active	2000–
Employer	Yoshimoto Kogyo
Genres	conte, manzai
Notable works and roles	Spark
Same year/generation as: Non Style Heisei Nobushi Kobushi Ryota Yamasato

Matayoshi is the boke of his comedy duo Peace alongside his partner Yuji Ayabe.^[3] Ayabe left Japan for New York in 2016 to continue his comedic career overseas while Matayoshi stayed in Japan, effectively making the duo inactive since then.^[4]

He is from Neyagawa City in Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Hokuyo Senior High School (presently Kansai University Hokuyo Senior High School).

Filmography

Film

• The Great Passage (2013), Togawa^[5]
• From the End of the World (2023)^[6]
• 5 Centimeters per Second (2025), Shibata^[7]

Television

• The Untold Story: How Tezuka created his "Black Jack" (2013) – Fujio Akatsuka^[8]
• Botchan (2016) – Natsume Sōseki^[9]
• Segodon (2018) – Tokugawa Iesada^[10]
• Maiagare! (2022) – Iwao Yagi^[11]
• Unbound (2025) – Yadoya no Meshimori^[12]

Bibliography

• Hibana (火花, Spark), Bungeishunjū, 2015, ISBN 9784163902302
• Yoru wo norikoeru (夜を乗り越える, Overcome the Night), Shogakukan, 2016, ISBN 9784098235018
• Gekijō (劇場, Theater), Shinchosha, 2017, ISBN 9784103509516