Katsura Bunshi VI

Katsura Bunshi VI
Birth name	Kawamura Shizuya
Born	(1943-07-16)16 July 1943 Sakai,Osaka Prefecture,Japan
Medium	Stand up,television
Years active	1964–present
Genres	Rakugo

In thisJapanese name,thesurnameisKatsura and Kawamura.

Shizuya Kawamura(Hà thôn tĩnh dã,Kawamura Shizuya),known by hisstage nameKatsura Bunshi VI(Lục đại quế văn chi,Rokudai Katsura Bunshi),is aJapaneseTV presenter andrakugoartist.

His former stage name wasKatsura Sanshi(Quế tam chi,Katsura Sanshi).Sanshi received this name from hisshishô(master) and one of the celebrated postwar Kamigata Rakugo greats,Katsura Bunshi V(Ngũ đại mục quế văn chi,Godaime Katsura Bunshi,1930-2005).Sanshi's "san" came from, originally, being Bunshi's thirddeshi(pupil) and "shi" came from the second half ofshishos stage name. Sanshi succeeded hisshisho's stage name in 2012.

Earlier years

Sanshi was born inHigashi-ward,Sakai, Osakaon 16 July 1943. His father died when he was an 11-month-old baby. Despite early unfortunate circumstances, his efforts in the entertainment business have brought him success.

Youth

Sanshi enteredKansai University(Faculty ofcommerce), after graduating from Ichioka Commercial High School in Osaka. He immediately gained fans at University with hisstorytellingand humor, though he had no professional careers. After university, Sanshi entered the artistic school or Katsura Bunshi V and later signed with agents atYoshimoto Kogyo.

TV presenter

Sanshi worked as amaster of ceremonieson:

Punch De Date

An audience participationmatchingandmarriageTV program produced byKansai Telecasting Corporationand broadcast from 1973 to 1985 co-starringKiyoshi Nishikawa.The show's openingcatchphrasewas "Hitome atta sono hi kara, koi no hana saku koto mo aru, mishiranu anata to mishiranu anata ni, date o torimotsuPunch De Date!"(approximate translation: Even though they are not acquainted with each other, the pairings will bring us shot-gun couples. Punch De Date makes amazing matches!).

Shinkonsan Irasshai

An audience participation program featuringhoneymooncouples. Using Sanshi's original pitch and tone, the opening phrase "Irasshai!" (Welcome!) was histrademark.

Filmography

Films

• Porco Rosso(1992), Mr. Piccolo (voice)
• Notomitori Samurai(2018),Tanuma Okitsugu

Television

• Sanada Maru(2016),Sen no Rikyū

Recent Activities

Sanshi is on the board of theKamigata Rakugo Kyoukai(Rakugo artists and performers' Guild inKansai region), and is the director of Yoshimoto Kogyo.

In the rakugo world, Sanshi is known mostly for his "New rakugo" (in Japanese "Sang tác lạc ngữ" ). He has been a guest professor at Kansai University.

Sanshi School

Sanshi has many deshiapprenticesand all of them have been given stage names that have the "san" (number 3, tam ), for example, Katsura SANpo, Katsura SANpu, Katsura SANpatsu, and so on.

Awards

• 2006Osaka Culture Prize— Culture Special Prize

External links

• Official website(in Japanese)