Patrick Harlan is an American born Japanese entertainer, comedian and voice actor. He is best known as the funny man of the famous comedy duo, Pack'n Mack'n. He is also often referred to by his stage name Pakkun.
Life and career
Harlan grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado and graduated from Harvard University with a degree in the Comparative Study of Religion. He first came to Japan on a tour with the Harvard Glee Club in 1993. He lived in Fukui and taught at an English conversation school. He studied Japanese on his own and passed the highest level of the Japanese Proficiency Test after 2 years in the country. He moved to Tokyo in 1996 to pursue an acting career. In 1997, Harlan joined with Makoto Yoshida to form the comic duo Pakkun Makkun, with Harlan as the boke and Yoshida as the tsukkomi. They were the first international pair on the Japanese comedy scene in decades. They quickly made a name for themselves, winning the Tokyo FMKing of Comedy Tournament and making it to the finals of NHK's Shinjin Engei Taisho both in 1999. They were also finalists on NHK's Bakusho Onair Battle in 2000. Pakkun Makkun became regular faces on Japanese television with a daily corner on the popular afternoon show Just on TBS for five and a half years. Pakkun Makkun took their Manzai style to Las Vegas in 2004 and Los Angeles in 2007, performing both times in English with their straightman and funny guy roles reversed. In addition to comedy, Harlan works as an actor, DJ, commentator and TV show host. As a solo performer Patrick became well known as the host of NHK's Eigo de Shabera Night, and later the secondary host or "Friday Partner" of Nihon Television's Omoikkiri Ii Terebi with Mino Monta. From 2010 to 2014, Harlan was the main MC of 7Sta Bratch and 7Sta Live on TV Tokyo. In the 2010s Harlan began commenting on news and current events and in 2015 became the moderator of "GAIKOKUJIN KISHAHA MITA " a weekly current affairs discussion program on BS-TBS television. He was the anchor of Fuji Television's Hodo Prime Sunday in 2018, and the Wednesday night anchor for Abema Prime from 2015 to 2019. Since 2012, he has been an adjunct professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology teaching courses in Communication and Rhetoric and International Relations Theory.
Television
Corner personality on "JUST." TBS Television 1999–2005
Host of "EIGO DE SHABERANAITO / Can You Speak English." NHK 2003 to 2009
Secondary Host of "OMOIKKIRI II TEREBI," Nihon Television 2007-2009
Host of "7-STA Live" and 7-STA BRATCH," TV Tokyo 2010–2014
Panelist on "IMA SEKAI HA," Nihon Television 2012–
Co-host of "Rika's Tokyo Cuisine" segment of "Dining with the Chef" 2013–
Host of "GAIKOKUJIN KISHAHA MITA / Through Foreign Journalists' Eyes," TBS Television 2015–
