Rakugo

Rakugo(Lạc ngữ,literally 'story with a fall')^[1]is a form ofJapaneseverbal comedy, traditionally performed inyosetheatres.^[2]The lone storyteller(Lạc ngữ gia,rakugoka)sits on a raised platform, akōza(Cao tọa).Using only a paper fan(Phiến tử,sensu)and a small cloth(Thủ thức,tenugui)as props, and without standing up from theseizasitting position, the rakugo artist depicts a long and complicated comical (or sometimes sentimental) story. The story always involves the dialogue of two or more characters. The difference between the characters is depicted only through change in pitch, tone, and a slight turn of the head.

Description[edit]

The speaker is in the middle of the stage, and his purpose is to stimulate the general hilarity with tone and limited, yet specific body gestures. The monologue always ends with a narrative stunt (punch line) known asochi(Lạc ち,lit. "fall" )orsage(Hạ げ,lit. "lowering" ),consisting of a sudden interruption of the wordplay flow. Twelve kinds of ochi are codified and recognized, with more complex variations having evolved through time from the more basic forms.^[3]

Early rakugo has developed into various styles, including theshibaibanashi(Chi cư 噺,theatre discourses),theongyokubanashi(Âm khúc 噺,musical discourses),thekaidanbanashi(Quái đàm 噺,ghost discourses, seekaidan),andninjōbanashi(Nhân tình 噺,sentimental discourses).In many of these forms theochi,which is essential to the original rakugo, is absent.

Rakugo has been described as "asitcomwith one person playing all the parts "by Noriko Watanabe, assistant professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Comparative Literature atBaruch College.^[4]

Lexical background[edit]

The precursor of rakugo was calledkarukuchi(Khinh khẩu,literally 'light-mouth').^[1]^: 38The oldest appearance of thekanjiwhich refers specifically to this type of performance dates back to 1787, but at the time the characters themselves ( lạc とし噺) were normally read asotoshibanashi( "dropping story" ).

In the middle of theMeiji period(1868–1912) the expressionrakugofirst started being used,^[1]^: 45and it came into common usage only in theShōwa period(1926–1989).

History[edit]

One of the predecessors of rakugo is considered to be a humorous story insetsuwa.TheKonjaku Monogatarishūand theUji Shūi Monogatariweresetsuwacollections compiled from theHeian period(794–1185) to theKamakura period(1185–1333); they contained many funny stories, and Japanese Buddhist monks preached Buddhism by quoting them. InMakura no Sōshi,it is described that the monks had gained a reputation for their beautiful voices and narrative arts.^[5]

The direct ancestor of rakugo is a humorous story among the stories narrated byotogishūin theSengoku Period(1467–1615).Otogishūwere scholars, Buddhist monks and tea masters who serveddaimyo(feudal lord), and their duty was to give lectures on books to daimyo and to be a partner for chatting.Anrakuan Sakuden,who was anotogishūand a monk of theJōdo-shū,is often said to be the originator ofrakugo,and his 8 volumes ofSeisui Shocontain 1000 stories, including the original stories ofrakugo.^[5]^[6]

Around 1670 in theEdo period(1603–1867), three storytellers appeared who were regarded as the firstrakugoka.Tsuyuno Gorobe inKyoto,Yonezawa Hikohachi inOsaka,and Shikano Buzaemon inEdobuilt simple huts around the same age and began telling funny stories to the general public for a price. Rakugo in this period was calledTsujibanashi,but once it lost popularity, rakugo declined for about 100 years.^[6]

In 1786, Utei Enba presided over arakugoshow at aryōtei,a traditional Japanese catering venue, in Mukōjima. He is regarded as the father of the restoration ofrakugo.His performances led to the establishment of the firsttheater dedicated to rakugo (yose)by Sanshōtei Karaku and Sanyūtei Enshō, and the revival ofrakugo.^[6]

During the Edo period, thanks to the emergence of the merchant class of thechōnin,rakugospread to the lower classes. Many groups of performers were formed, and collections of texts were finally printed. During the 17th century the actors were known ashanashika(found written as噺 gia,Đốt gia,orThoại gia;"storyteller" ), corresponding to the modern term,rakugoka(Lạc ngữ gia,"person of the falling word" ).

Before the advent of modernrakugothere were thekobanashi(Tiểu 噺):short comical vignettes ending with anochi,popular between the 17th and the 19th centuries. These were enacted in small public venues, or in the streets, and printed and sold as pamphlets. The origin ofkobanashiis to be found in theKinō wa kyō no monogatari(Yesterday Stories Told Today,c. 1620), the work of an unknown author collecting approximately 230 stories describing thecommon class.

Types ofochi[edit]

’’Niwaka ochi’’: An ochi using a pun, it is also called 'Jiguchi Ochi.'

’’Hyoshi ochi’’: An ochi that uses repeated punchlines.

’’Sakasa ochi’’: An ochi with a twist punchline, one where roles are reversed

’’Kangae ochi’’: A punchline that is hard to understand but people will laugh after pondering for a while.

‘’Mawari ochi’’: A punchline that ends the story by returning to the beginning.

’’Mitate ochi’’: An ochi that uses unexpected punchlines.

’’Manuke ochi’’: An ochi that ends the story with a dumb or ridiculous joke

’’Totan ochi’’: An ochi using a signature phrase.

’’Buttsuke ochi’’: An ending with a punch line based on a misunderstanding.

’’Shigusa ochi’’: A punchline that uses a physical gesture.

Important contributors[edit]

Many artists contributed to the development ofrakugo.Some were simply performers, but many also composed original works.

Among the more famousrakugokaof theTokugawa periodwere performers likeAnrakuan Sakuden(1554–1642), the author of theSeisuishō(Laughter to Chase Away Sleep,1628), a collection of more than 1,000 stories. InEdo(today'sTokyo) there also livedShikano Buzaemon[ja](1649–1699) who wrote theShikano Buzaemon kudenbanashi(Oral Instruction Discourses of Shikano Buzaemon) and theShika no makifude(The Deer's Brush,1686), a work containing 39 stories, eleven of which are about thekabuki milieu.Tatekawa Enba I[ja](1743–1822) was author of theRakugo rokugi(The Six Meanings of Rakugo).

Kyotowas the home ofTsuyu no Gorobei I[ja](1643–1703), who is considered the father of the rakugo tradition of theKamigataarea (Kamigata rakugo(Thượng phương lạc ngữ)).^[7]His works are included in theKarukuchi tsuyu ga hanashi(Jocular Tsuyu's Stories,date of composition unknown), containing many word games, episodes from the lives of famous literary authors, and plays on the differentdialectsfrom theTokyo,Osaka,and Kyoto areas.

Of a similar structure is theKarukuchi gozen otoko(One-liners: An Important Storyteller,date of publication unknown) in which are collected the stories ofYonezawa Hikohachi I[ja],who lived in Ōsaka towards the end of the 17th century. An example from Yonezawa Hikohachi's collection:

A man faints in a bathing tub. In the great confusion following, a doctor arrives who takes his pulse and calmly gives the instructions: "Pull the plug and let the water out." Once the water has flowed completely out of the tub he says: "Fine. Now put a lid on it and carry the guy to the cemetery."

For the poor man is already dead. The joke becomes clearer when one notes that aJapanese traditional bathing tubis shaped like a coffin.

Current performers[edit]

Currentrakugoartists includeTachibanaya Enzō,Katsura Bunshi VI,Tachibanaya Takezō II,Tatekawa ShinosukeandHayashiya Shōzō IX.Furthermore, many people regarded as more mainstream comedians originally trained as rakugokaapprentices,even adopting stage names given to them by their masters. Some examples includeAkashiya Sanma,Shōfukutei Tsurube II,andShōfukutei Shōhei.^[8]Another famousrakugoperformer,Shijaku Katsura II,was known outside Japan for his performances ofrakugoin English.

Titles[edit]

The Peony Lantern (Botan Dōrō)(ja: Mẫu đan đăng lung,Botandōrō)– a kaidanbanashi, or ghost story
Jugemu(ja: Thọ hạn vô,Jugemu)– the life of a boy with a ridiculously long name
Manjuu kowai(ja: Man đầu こわい,Manjuu kowai,Manjūare scary)– a group of boys try to scare off a boaster^[9]
Meguro no Sanma(ja: Mục hắc のさんま,Meguro no sanma,Pacific sauryofMeguro)– a naive lord enjoys commoners' foods^[10]
Momotarō(Đào thái lang,Momotarō)– ameta-gagin which a father is mocked by his son because of his bad storytelling of the Japanese folktaleMomotarō^[11]
Mt. Head(ja: Đầu sơn,Atamayama)– a tree begins growing out of a man's head
Neko no sara(ja: Miêu の mãnh,Neko no sara,The cat's plate)– a man tries to outwit the owner of a piece of antique porcelain^[12]
Shibahama(ja: Chi bang,Shibahama)– a good-for-nothing husband finds a huge sum of money^[13]
Teresuko(ja:てれすこ,Teresuko)– cash reward to whom that could identify a strange fish

Notablerakugoka[edit]

Edo (Tokyo)[edit]

Hayashiya Kikuō(formerly Hayashiya Kikuzō I)
Hayashiya Konpei
Hayashiya Sanpei I
Hayashiya Shōzō IX
Hayashiya Taihei
Kairakutei Black I(Henry Black)
Katsura Utamaru
Katsura Yonesuke
Kokontei Shinchō
Kokontei Shinshō
Reireisya Bafū
Reireisya Suzumaru(Yamada Takao)
Ryūtei Chiraku
San'yūtei Enchō
San'yūtei Enraku V
San'yūtei Enraku VI(formerly San'yūtei Rakutarō)
San'yūtei Kōraku
San'yūtei Koyūza
Sanshōtei Yumenosuke
Shunpūtei Koasa
Shunpūtei Ryūshō
Shunpūtei Shōta
Tachibanaya Enzō
Tachibanaya Takezō
Tatekawa Danshi
Tatekawa Shinosuke
Yanagiya Kosan
Yanagiya Kosanji

Kamigata (Osaka)[edit]

Hayashiya Somemaru IV
Katsura Beichō
Katsura Bunchin
Katsura Bunshi V
Katsura Bunshi VI(formerly Katsura Sanshi)
Katsura Harudanji
Katsura Shijaku II
Katsura Sunshine
Shōfukutei Kakushow
Shōfukutei Matsunosuke
Shōfukutei Nikaku
Shōfukutei Shōkaku
Shōfukutei Tsurube
Showko Showfukutei
Tsukitei Happō
Tsukitei Hōsei(formerly Yamasaki Hōsei)
Tsukitei Kachō

References[edit]

^^a ^b ^cTanaka, Sakurako (1993).Talking through the text: Rakugo and the oral/literal interface(Master thesis).University of British Columbia.pp. 30, 45.doi:10.14288/1.0076952.Archivedfrom the original on 3 May 2023.
^Sweeney, Amin (1979)."Rakugo: Professional Japanese Storytelling"(pdf).Asian Folklore Studies(in Japanese).38(1).Nanzan University:29.doi:10.2307/1177464.JSTOR 1177464.Archived(PDF)from the original on 6 August 2019.Retrieved3 May2023.(Bibliography:volume 38(1),article)
^Rakugo: universal laughter,Tim Ryan. Retrieved 11 May 2007
^Rakugo related interview,Baruch College. Retrieved 11 May 2007
^^a ^bLạc ngữ の lịch sử.Japan Arts Counsil.
^^a ^b ^cLạc ngữ nhập môn.Edogawa City
^Kōjiendictionary, entries for "Tsuyu no Gorobei".
^Rakugo Performers.Retrieved 11 May 2007
^Tatekawa, Shinoharu(21 August 2017).Manju kowai (Scared of Manju)(mp3).Rakugo - Japanese traditional style comedy (FM radio broadcast).Japan. Tokyo FM.Retrieved11 November2019.
^Tatekawa, Shinoharu(17 October 2016).Meguro no samma(mp3).Rakugo - Japanese traditional style comedy (FM radio broadcast).Japan. Tokyo FM.Retrieved11 November2019.
^Tatekawa, Shinoharu(5 February 2018).Momotaro(mp3).Rakugo - Japanese traditional style comedy (FM radio broadcast).Japan. Tokyo FM.Retrieved11 November2019.
^Tatekawa, Shinoharu(4 February 2019).Cat's Plate(mp3).Rakugo - Japanese traditional style comedy (FM radio broadcast).Japan. Tokyo FM.Retrieved11 November2019.
^Tatekawa, Shinoharu(18 December 2017).Shibahama(mp3).Rakugo - Japanese traditional style comedy (FM radio broadcast).Japan. Tokyo FM.Retrieved11 November2019.

External links[edit]

[Tanaka1993-1] Tanaka, Sakurako (1993).Talking through the text: Rakugo and the oral/literal interface(Master thesis).University of British Columbia.pp. 30, 45.doi:10.14288/1.0076952.Archivedfrom the original on 3 May 2023.

[Sweeney1979-2] Sweeney, Amin (1979)."Rakugo: Professional Japanese Storytelling"(pdf).Asian Folklore Studies(in Japanese).38(1).Nanzan University:29.doi:10.2307/1177464.JSTOR 1177464.Archived(PDF)from the original on 6 August 2019.Retrieved3 May2023.(Bibliography:volume 38(1),article)

[3] Rakugo: universal laughter,Tim Ryan. Retrieved 11 May 2007

[4] Rakugo related interview,Baruch College. Retrieved 11 May 2007

[hisjac-5] Lạc ngữ の lịch sử.Japan Arts Counsil.

[edogawa-6] Lạc ngữ nhập môn.Edogawa City

[7] Kōjiendictionary, entries for "Tsuyu no Gorobei".

[8] Rakugo Performers.Retrieved 11 May 2007

[9] Tatekawa, Shinoharu(21 August 2017).Manju kowai (Scared of Manju)(mp3).Rakugo - Japanese traditional style comedy (FM radio broadcast).Japan. Tokyo FM.Retrieved11 November2019.

[10] Tatekawa, Shinoharu(17 October 2016).Meguro no samma(mp3).Rakugo - Japanese traditional style comedy (FM radio broadcast).Japan. Tokyo FM.Retrieved11 November2019.

[11] Tatekawa, Shinoharu(5 February 2018).Momotaro(mp3).Rakugo - Japanese traditional style comedy (FM radio broadcast).Japan. Tokyo FM.Retrieved11 November2019.

[12] Tatekawa, Shinoharu(4 February 2019).Cat's Plate(mp3).Rakugo - Japanese traditional style comedy (FM radio broadcast).Japan. Tokyo FM.Retrieved11 November2019.

[13] Tatekawa, Shinoharu(18 December 2017).Shibahama(mp3).Rakugo - Japanese traditional style comedy (FM radio broadcast).Japan. Tokyo FM.Retrieved11 November2019.

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