Daimaou

Daimaou, formally Kosaka Daimaō (古坂大魔王), is a Japanese comedian and musician best known internationally for creating the character Pikotaro and the viral novelty song Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen (PPAP). Active in the Japanese entertainment scene since the late 1980s, Daimaō has worked as a comedian and musician, contributing to various projects and performances over the years.

PPAP, released in 2016, features the Pikotaro persona—a singer in distinctive attire who performs a short, repetitive routine that combines simple lyrics with a minimalist dance. The video rapidly became a global phenomenon, accumulating billions of views and prompting widespread media coverage, remixes, parodies, and television appearances. The success solidified Daimaō’s international profile and demonstrated the impact of meme-driven music on contemporary popular culture.

In addition to PPAP, Daimaō has continued to engage in entertainment work in Japan, including writing and performing in musical and comedy projects and making occasional appearances on variety programs. The Pikotaro character remains the most widely recognized aspect of his career outside Japan, though Daimaō has pursued broader creative activities within the Japanese media landscape.

Personal information about Daimaō is not extensively disclosed in public sources, and he has maintained a relatively private profile outside his stage work. His influence is largely tied to the PPAP phenomenon, which highlighted the global reach of short-form, tongue-in-cheek music from Japanese comedians.