Ebina Eizaburō was born in Negishi, Shitaya-ku, Tōkyō-shi, Tōkyō-fu on 30 November 1925. After serving in the Pacific War, he changed his name to Ebina Yasuichirō. He became active as a rakugoka in 1946 under the stage name of Hayashiya Sanpei. One of his trademark lines was 「そうなんす、奥さん。」 (Sō nansu, okusan, That's the way it is, ma'am). He died from liver cancer in Chiyoda-ku, Tōkyō-to on 20 September 1980 and is interred at Jōfukuji in Adachi-ku, Tōkyō-to.
Wobbuffet, a fictional species of Pokémon, is an homage to Yasuichirō; its Japanese name, ソーナンス (Sonans), references his catchphrase.
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Categories: Comedians | Liver Cancer | Storytellers | Tokyo | Japan, Notables | Notables