Mike Staffa is the founder and director of Pirates of Tokyo Bay, Tokyo's premier English and Japanese improv comedy group. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mike has lived in Japan since 2005 and has been performing and teaching improv comedy for over 20 years. He founded the group in 2010 and has since grown it into a monthly fixture at What the Dickens! in Ebisu. It’s a show that consistently ranks as the #1 Nightlife Activity on TripAdvisor and has been featured in Metropolis Japan, the KAYAK Tokyo Travel Guide, and the Huffington Post Japan. Beyond the stage, Mike is a recognized corporate trainer whose improv-based workshops have been adopted by Google, the American Embassy, and GLOBIS University, Japan's leading MBA platform.
Quick Facts: Mike Staffa
Role: Founder & Director, Pirates of Tokyo Bay (2010–present)
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Years in Japan: Since 2005
Also founded: Pirates of the Dotombori (Osaka, 2005)
Notable speaking: TED@Tokyo Talk - "Why You Won't Die on Stage" (2012)
Featured on: GLOBIS Unlimited - "Improv Techniques for Business" and "Building Teams with Laughter"
Countries performed in: 10+ including USA, Australia, Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, Germany
Previous groups: Attention-Starved Children (USA), The Big HOO-HAA (Australia)
Pre-show ritual: Listening to "Ball Tongue" by Korn before every single show since 2001
Hidden talent: Spreadsheets. Seriously.
From Minnesota Nice to Tokyo Nights
Mike's improv journey started in 2001 when he auditioned for the Attention-Starved Children, his college improv group in Minnesota. The moment he felt the energy from a live audience, he was hooked. "Laughter is the best medicine," he says - and he's spent the next two decades prescribing it across four continents.
After moving to Japan in 2005, Mike founded the Pirates of the Dotombori in Osaka before launching Pirates of Tokyo Bay in 2010. What began as a small group of friends performing in a British pub has grown into a 26-member international cast performing monthly to packed audiences in Ebisu.
On Stage: Guessing Games and Standing Ovations
Ask Mike his favorite improv game and the answer comes without hesitation: "1 Thing." It's a guessing game where the performer has to figure out a secret concept from the audience's clues. "If I guess it right, the audience is usually amazed," he says. That moment of connection - the collective gasp when the answer clicks…is pure improv magic.
His most memorable moments aren't the big laughs, though. They're the lines out the door. "There have been a few times I've been struck by the popularity of the group," he reflects. "When there are lines out the door of audience members waiting to get in, that is always memorable." Even more powerful: learning that couples who had their first date at a Pirates show later got married. "That one always gets me."
Off Stage: TED, GLOBIS, and the Business of Laughter
Mike's influence extends well beyond the Ebisu stage. In 2012, he and the Pirates delivered a TED Talk on cross-cultural communication through improv. His corporate training methodology, using the "Yes, And" principle to build psychological safety, active listening, and team adaptability which has been adopted by major organizations including Google Japan, BizReach, and the American Embassy.
His courses on GLOBIS Unlimited, Japan's top MBA learning platform, bring improv techniques to business professionals across the country. "Improv Techniques for Business" focuses on cross-cultural communication, while "Building Teams with Laughter" tackles the challenge of maintaining team cohesion, not just building it.
The Weird Stuff
Every performer has their rituals. Mike's is unusually specific: before every improv show he has ever performed, going back over 25 years, he listens to the same song. "Ball Tongue" by Korn. "I don't even particularly like the song," he admits. "It just became a ritual."
His hidden talent? Spreadsheets. Not a joke. The man runs a 26-member volunteer improv group across multiple countries with an organizational system built entirely on Google Sheets. (He even sells the system as the Improv Group Management Kit.)
His favorite food in Tokyo? American food, specifically the burgers at Troubadour in Tama Plaza. "I know, I know," he laughs.
And if he had to perform an improv scene in a language he doesn't speak? "Swedish. The Muppets' Swedish Chef taught me well."
See Mike Perform
Mike performs monthly with Pirates of Tokyo Bay at What the Dickens! in Ebisu, Tokyo. Every ticket includes your 1st drink free. You don't need to speak both English and Japanese to enjoy the show - the cast uses physical comedy, gibberish, and pantomime to make sure everyone laughs.
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