Rakugo in English! Japanese traditional storytelling for international communication

Enjoy an introduction to traditional comic storytelling by professional rakugo artist Tatekawa Shinoharu 立川志の春 and learn about Edo-era amusements with his original retelling of the rarely performed “Oyama-mairi” rakugo.

Date/Time

Wed. 6 Dec. 2023 6:00 to 7:30 pm

Venue

Sakura Hall

Shinoharu, educated at Yale University, gave up a corporate career to follow his dream of becoming a professional rakugo artist. He performs around the world in English and Japanese.

During the Edo period, Mt. Oyama in Kanagawa Prefecture was one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in Japan, attracting as many as 200,000 pilgrims every July during a short summer pilgrimage season. The pilgrimage to Mt. Oyama was part of the lively culture of tradespeople in Edo (present-day Tokyo) and figures prominently in the popular literature, woodblock prints and rakugo comic-storytelling of the time.

  • Presented by the International Centre for Japanese Studies in cooperation with the Institute of Japan Studies, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
  • Supported by the Toshiba International Foundation
  • Contact: haukamp[at]tufs.ac.jp (change [at] to @)

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