Publications...
FINALIST in the Arts & Entertainment category in the 17th NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS.
RAKUGO, the Japanese art of storytelling, evolved as a form of entertainment for ordinary people during the Edo period (1603-1867). Yet, owing to its extraordinary adaptability, it has remained a relevant art form for over 400 years.
It is a live performance art that has penetrated the borders of Japan and continues to gain popularity overseas. The rakugo stage once dominated by Japanese raconteurs now features foreign storytellers, as well as Japanese performers, both amateur and professional, who endeavor to entertain us in English.
The only requirements for rakugo storytelling are a folding fan, a hand towel, and your imagination!
In Talking About Rakugo, learn what distinguishes rakugo from Japan's other traditional performing arts, become acquainted with its greatest contributors, enjoy some of rakugo's most popular classical stories, and meet the performers of today.
Rakugo is entertainment for the general public and Talking About Rakugo is your easy-to-understand general guide.
.png)
Rakugo, with its stories rooted in everyday life, is currently experiencing a boom in popularity not just in the country where it originated, but also in places where until just recently the word rakugo was an unfamiliar term. The art form, which was once confined to the traditional yose theaters, has expanded to a variety of media, including radio, television, internet, CDs, DVDs, film, drama, manga, and anime.
It owes its success to its practitioners, the RAKUGOKA. The contemporary storytellers, who shifting away from the norms and rules guiding them in their treatment of the narratives, have diversified and developed personas based on their individual lifestyles and personalities. Each one brings his or her own experiences, eccentricities, and authenticity to the unique world of rakugo.
Sometimes the stories behind the storytellers entice the public as much as the ones they tell on stage.
You were introduced to the traditional Japanese art of storytelling in Talking About Rakugo, now venture into the private world of the storytellers in Talking About Rakugo 2: The Stories Behind the Storytellers.
Rakugo is the traditional art of Japanese storytelling which dates back to the Edo period (1603-1867). It's wonderfully rich stories are imbued with scenarios from everyday life—capped off with a touch of humor. There are approximately 500 stories known to exist. Each can be grouped into one of several categories including: stories about children, stories about men and women, stories about simpletons, fantasy and surrealistic stories, ghost stories, and human-interest stories.
This book is the first volume, and it includes 35 classic rakugo stories selected from different categories. I hope to publish another 35 stories in the subsequent volume, and the remaining 30 in the concluding volume. It is my pleasure to introduce you to this unique facet of Japan’s rich and wonderful culture.
Fallen words is the literal English translation of the Japanese term rakugo (落語). Before there was film, television, sitcoms, and standup comedy, there was rakugo-entertainment created specifically for common people. What is rakugo? Noriko Watanabe, an assistant professor at Baruch College, once described rakugo as "a sitcom with one person playing all the parts."
Rakugo is the popular 400-year-old art of Japanese storytelling. It consists of a repertoire of more than 500 classical stories that have been passed down from master to disciple over the centuries. In addition to the classical rakugo stories, there is a substantial collection of new and original rakugo stories being written and performed by contemporary rakugoka (storytellers) on a continuing basis.
As the author/ editor of three rakugo books introducing English-speaking audiences to Japan's delightful storytelling tradition, I thought it would be fun to compile and release a collection of my own original English rakugo stories. I hope these stories will enlighten and entertain you.
Rakugo, the traditional Japanese art of storytelling, developed as a form of entertainment for the general public during the Edo Period (1603–1867). It is a minimalistic art form which features a lone storyteller capable of conveying a wide variety of stories to an audience using only a fan and a hand towel as his or her props.
At the present time, there are approximately 500 stories known to exist. Generally, the stories are comedic in nature, but rakugo also includes tragicomic human-interest stories and scary supernatural stories.
In Eiraku’s 100 English Rakugo Scripts (Volume 1), you were introduced to thirty-five classic rakugo stories selected from different categories ranging from “Stories About Children” to “Human Interest Stories.” In Volume 2, you will be presented with an additional thirty-five stories including “Stories About Stores and Vendors,” ”Family Stories,” “Stories About Thieves,” “Fantasy Stories,” “Sumo Stories,” “Stories About Drinking,” and much more. This book also includes a bonus collection of short erotic stories from Ise.
Each story has been fully translated to English from the original Japanese version by rakugo storyteller Kanariya Eiraku. Follow along and experience the charm of rakugo, and find out why the art form has endured for over 400 years.