RAKUGO

Rakugo, one of Japan’s traditional storytelling arts, dates back to the Edo period and remains popular today. The performer sits on stage and tells comical stories that end with a narrative stunt (punch line) known as ochi or sage. A single storyteller portrays many different characters by using different voices and gestures. Broadly speaking, there are two major places of origin for rakugo, one being Edo (present-day Tokyo) where stories were told indoors (in tatami-mat parlors called zashiki) and the other Kamigata (the present-day Osaka/Kyoto area) where performances took place initially outdoors. Today, rakugo continues to attract new fans by offering new styles of rakugo performances in mini-theatres, etc. Ritsu, an avid visitor to rakugo shows, is never bored even though he knows exactly how the stories unfold and end because they are told differently each time by different performers—very much like classical songs that are still appreciated today.