expressions - Is there a Japanese equivalent of knock-knock jokes?

For those (non-natives, etc.) who maybe aren't familiar, knock-knock jokes are one of the lowest, most basic forms of American "comedy". They follow this format:

• A: Knock, knock


• B: Who's there?



• A: [Something]


• B: [Something] who?


• A: [Dumb punchline]

Here's an example:

• A: Knock, knock


• B: Who's there?



• A: "Boo"


• B: "Boo" who?


• A: It's just me, you don't have to cry.　→　さぁ〜〜〜むッ！

  注：「"Boo" who」とは「Boo hoo」の同音で、「Boo hoo」とは英語の泣き[喚]{わめ}きの擬声語。

You can make up just about anything and fit it into the format of a knock-knock joke.

So does Japanese have some similar ubiquitous format for making easy "jokes"?

Answer

I don't think there are any call-and-response jokes in Japanese, which is sort of an important feature of knock-knock jokes. As for jokes, which follow a particular pattern, there are simple plays on words, which everyone knows and which involve two words or phrases, which are (at least quasi-)homophones, usually at the beginning and at the end of a sentence, which when read without distinguishing the homophones are preferably some sort of tautology (e.g. いぬがいぬ) or simply unintelligible (e.g. でんわにだれもでんわ). Some all-time favourites

• [布団]{ふ・とん}が吹っ飛んだ。


• ゴキブリの動きぶり。


• 電話に誰もでんわ。


• この鶏肉取りにくい。


• [生姜]{しょう・が}ないからしょうがない。


• 犬がいぬ。


• イルカはいるか。

They are of a similar standard and similar to knock-knock jokes in that everyone gets the joke (or what's left of it) and everyone knows at least a couple of them. Also, everyone is free to make up their own.