Pineapple Pen

Japanese comedian Piko-Taro, also known as Daimaou Kosaka, also known as Kazuhito Kosaka (real name), is currently riding a wave of fame thanks to his huge YouTube hit, “Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen,” or “PPAP.”

The song was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records on Oct. 28 as the shortest song ever to reach the Nielsen Hot 100, where it debuted at No. 77.

“PPAP” is only 45 seconds long. As of the ceremony it had been viewed 67 million times since being uploaded in August. The ceremony took place at the Foreign Correspondents Club Of Japan in Tokyo, which was only appropriate since Piko-Taro’s fame is mostly an overseas phenomenon.

In Japan, the song is only well-known because of the attention it has received abroad. Though Kosaka has been an active comedian since the early 90s, he has never had any sort of lasting success in his native land, and as he explained during the accompanying press conference, he still has to make a living by other means. The song first gained notoriety when it was mentioned by Justin Bieber in a Sept. 28 tweet to his 88 million followers after he saw it on YouTube while in Japan for a series of concerts.

Beliebers caused the video to go viral and from there its simple, ridiculous charms kept getting bigger and bigger. It should have been as big in Japan, as well. The sort of nonsensical humor imparted by the song and its dance is the kind of thing that Japanese comedians spend their whole lives trying to devise. He’s signed to Avex Group Holdings, one of Japan’s biggest record companies, and is apparently negotiating tie-ups with Sony, Ultra and CNR Records in Belgium. An album is due in December. At the ceremony, he debuted a longer version of “PPAP” that will be released soon.