Rakugo

``Rakugo'' is one of Japanese traditional performing arts.

Rakugo is, briefly speaking, comic story telling. And some kind of one-man drama, also. But there is no background scenery, no make-up, no stage costume, and no fellows playing together. So, when you see a Rakugo performance, your imagination is very very important.

For example, when the Rakugo performer says ``Oh, a bird is flying in the sky!'', you should imagine and see a bird flying in the sky. O.K. Let's have a try. ``A bird is flying in the sky!'' Can you see a bird? One more try. ``Oh, something is flying in the sky. What's that?'' What's that? Ah, there's nothing. Sorry. I had an illusion. :-)

In this way, your imagination makes up for the lack of stage properties, background scenery, performer's costume, and so on... For example, a SENSU (Japanese folding fan) will serve as a face of fox, a tobacco pipe (KISERU), a writing brush (FUDE), an oar, an ornamental hairpin (KANZASHI), and many many other properties as the case may be.

Rakugo performer often changes his direction while his Rakugo performance. In that way, he plays many persons by himself. Changing directions means changing roles in Rakugo.

Now, I show you a Kobanashi titled ``Inu''. Inu means a dog in Japanese. Kobanashi-s are very very short version of Rakugo, and Rakugo performers often play them as a pre-performance of Rakugo.

``Inu''

written by OSADA,Sadao
played by KATSURA,Shijaku

If you feel interested in Rakugo performance, I urge you to go to see an English Rakugo by Shijaku Katsura. He is my favorite Rakugo peformer and he sometimes plays Rakugo in English.

tsumura@kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp