When was the last time you had a really good laugh ?
Can you even remember? If not, attending a performance of rakugo – may just be the thing you need. Rakugo features humor that everyone can enjoy. If you’re worried that your Japanese only goes as far as ordering a beer- or if you’re not even in Japan – no problem. Thanks to the increasing number of English speaking Rakugoka, such as the likes of Kimie Oshima, Rakugo shows in English are now frequent and increasingly popular both in Japan and around the globe.
What is Rakugo?
Rakugo has been amply described as “a sitcom with one person playing all the parts”. The Rakugoka (落語家 ‘story teller’) performs solitarily on stage. Kimono clad, the lone storyteller sits in the traditional seiza position, performing for at least 20 minutes. Being a minimalistic performance art, the Rakugoka has but two props to depict what is often a long and complicated comical story. These are a sensu (扇子 ‘paperfan’) and a tenugui(手拭 ‘a small cloth’), these help to express and act out the story. For example, the fan could be anything from a pair of chopsticks to a spanner.The Rakugoka differentiates characters in conversation by moving his head from left to right, as well as with refined changes in tempo, posture, intonation, etc. The audience is also encouraged to use their imagination, each of the character types represents qualities found within all of us, or parts of the whole human personality, and each one tends to emphasise just one simplified aspect of human nature. Because these exaggerated characters are performed without costume or disguise, rakugo is in a way the art of imagination: the audience is free to imagine the features of the characters and the background settings. Despite being an ancient art form, Rakugo is still very much alive. There are over 700 professional storytellers practicing today in the two main traditions of storytelling, that of Tokyo (Edo) and that of Osaka (Kamigata).
If you watch from 3.50 to 7 minutes , to watch Kimie Oshima’s hilarious explanation of how to watch Rakugo.
How did Rakugo begin?
Rakugo has a rich history expanding over 400 years. It is a traditional comic art that is said to have begun when Buddhist monks in the 9th and 10th century used short funny stories to make their sermons more interesting. Progressively, the art form turned from humorous narratives into monologues, of what seems almost certainly upon the request of the daimyō, feudal lords, seeking people skilled enough to entertain them with various kinds of storytelling. In the history of its development, performers showed some truly extraordinary talent and have contributed greatly to the enrichment of Japan’s varied heritage of humor.
Traditionally Rakugo was performed in a Japanese-style vaudeville type of theater that is prominent in Japan for its comic entertainments called Yose. Yose houses the different Japanese comedic styles such as Rakugo, Manzai, and Kodan. Yose came from humble beginnings in the Edo period(1603–1868). Before the first Yose, comic entertainments were open to the townspeople, as they were performed in public spaces such as temple grounds and shrines. However, as time passed on, the popularity of these acts raised. In the 18th century, the Japanese comic theatre industry grew immensely, correlating positively with the demand. So, Yose theatres were erected with the sole purpose of housing these comical performances. It is a common belief that the very first Yose, built in 1798 was the precinct of Shitaya shrine.
About the stories
Several hundred traditional Rakugo stories are still widely performed today, despite some being dated back to over 400 years old. Typically the stories feature the comical and occasionally absurd shenanigans of stereotypical characters common to neighbourhood life in Edo-Period Japan. Alongside the classics, numerous new stories have been created by living rakugoka. One of the most famous Rakugoka, Katsura Bunshi VI, has over 200 stories to his name, and only performs his own stories.
However, even the new stories conform to classic Rakugo structure, this way, the essence of the art form remains intact. Each story opens with a section called the makura, pillow (in the sense of padding), which then leads on to the hanashi (story). The makura, consists of the Rakugoka’s own individual “material”. This can be about almost anything, much like western stand-up comedy. The Rakugoka often takes advantage of this monologue to present comical explanations of how to enjoy and appreciate Rakugo stories, so that even the uninitiated can easily follow the story once it begins. Much like how Kimie Oshima introduces it in the video link above.
Humor comes from the audience’s common knowledge, or what they were expecting, so whatever is not expected would be more comical. The same story can be laughed at in different parts depending on location. Kimie Oshima says “When I performed the story called ‘Toki Soba’, I made a lot of slurping sounds while I was eating soba noodles. That’s a very common custom for Japanese or any of Asian countries so it’s not funny for them.” But in other parts of the world, they find the act hilarious. Some people may be uncomfortable, some people may think it’s actually really funny so she usually has to explain that making a slurping sound actually makes it taste better before she performs the story. Otherwise they may feel the Japanese are rude.
“If I tell them the reason for the slurping sound, they respect part of our culture and feel they want to go to Japan and make the slurping sound there!” – Kimie Oshima
Toki Soba – Kimie Oshima – Check out the video for slurping galore.
So how do I become a Rakugoka?
It is a long but rewarding journey.
To become a recognised professional Rakugoka, you must become the apprentice of a Rakugo master. The Rakugo master is whom you receive your stage name from. The apprenticeships last from three to four years, and is very strict. Depending on who your master is, as an apprentice you may not smoke, drink , go on dates and you are subject to a strict curfew during the apprenticeship period. In addition to this, the apprentice cleans their master’s house, cooks, does laundry, prepares and fold kimonos, as well as other chores. The apprentice learns the art of Rakugo through imitation, they watch their master and imitate the act. You are only allowed to perform a given story once your master has granted you permission to do so.
Why do people laugh at the same stories?
You might be thinking, why an audience would laugh at the punch line of a familiar Rakugo story that people have heard many times before, especially in the case of the traditional stories. This is most likely because each performer introduces their own unique and original touches to the story. These may have to do with; the setting, wordplay, the exaggeration of performance, or characters’ styles of conversation. Even after 400 years, people still amusement in the classic stories, just as western audiences still enjoy Shakespeare, pantomimes, classic opera and classic comedy routines.
Rakugo Today
Currently there are over 700 professional Rakugoka practicing today. Only just 30 of these are women, and there is currently only one story teller of western decent. The majority of Rakugoka belong to one of five professional Rakugo associations. In Tokyo and Osaka, there are several theatres specifically dedicated to staging Rakugo all year round. However, Rakugoka can be performed just about anywhere you can lay a cushion to kneel on.
So why not find out when your next Rakugoka is in town, or check out one of the many you tube videos and DVDs to have an extra good giggle.
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