Naomi Watanabe is a global phenomenon with a ubiquitous presence across Japan. The multi-hyphenate successfully and simultaneously navigates the multiple facets of her career: comedian, actor, voice actor, model, and fashion icon. Her star is rapidly rising, making her one of the most recognizable entertainers in all of Asia, and quickly becoming one-to-watch in North America.

In February of 2026, Naomi made history as the first solo comedian to headline the iconic Tokyo Dome. For the massively successful performance, she achieved the Guinness World Record for most tickets sold for a comedy show by a solo female comedian. Currently, Watanabe is on her first North American tour, “From Tokyo” with 18 stops across the continent. This highly anticipated North American tour has catapulted her into being both an internationally and nationally recognized name. 

In 2025, Naomi voiced Ambassador Auva in the Oscar nominated film Elio, and made history as the first Japanese performer to voice a character in both English and Japanese simultaneously for Pixar.

Naomi made her debut as a comedian in Japan in 2007 and quickly gained notoriety through sketch comedy performances. She has since captivated audiences around the world with her viral performances and hilarious celebrity impressions, showcasing her talents as both a performer and a creator of original comedy.

The past few years have been monumental in Naomi’s career, following a move to New York City. In 2023, she produced and hosted the podcast "Naomi Takes America,” in which she talked with Americans and made jokes and observations about the cultural differences and similarities between Japan and her new home. Later that year, she embarked on a seven-city tour, during which she took the show live, did a short stand-up set, and fielded questions throughout the show. The following year, she returned to the stage with “Stand Up with Naomi Watanabe” – a one-night-only special event at the Gramercy Theater – that sold out both performances within an hour. 

Outside of her comedy, Naomi has used her platform to become one of the most disruptive forces in the fashion and beauty space, by consistently shattering traditional industry standards through global partnerships and ambassadorships with top brands such as Adidas x Ivy Park, Gap, Marc Jacobs, Fendi, and Hugo Boss, and her very own streetwear clothing line, Punyus.

Naomi has been honored as one of BBC’s “100 Women” in 2024 and was honored with the “Global Groundbreaker Award” by Character Media at its 22nd Annual Unforgettable Gala. She has also been featured on Netflix’s hit series Queer Eye, in which she and Karamo gave tips on leading confident lives.