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whirluendo_of_puns) wrote2018-07-01 04:48 pm
whirluendo_of_puns) wrote2018-07-01 04:48 pm
Rakugo [WIP]
This post is for collecting and transcribing any rakugo stories I'm able to get my hands on. There will be more general info for reference purposes as well.
Rakugo is a form of comedic storytelling originating in Japan's Edo period. A rakugo artist tells jokes and stories on a zabuton cushion, acting out all characters alone with no props besides a paper fan and a hand towel (called tenugui).
Life of a Rakugo Artist
While anyone can do amateur rakugo, becoming a true professional requires being accepted under the tutelage of a master. This is generally a long-term commitment. The master, or shisho, is responsible for the apprentice's well-being and is expected to provide them with financial stability. The apprentice in turn is expected to repay their debt by earning prestige through their career and subsequently improving their shisho's reputation. On the flip-side, a student's behavior and failures also reflect poorly on the shisho.
Three ranks:
- Zenza, or the apprentice. Learns through observation, recital and listening to tape recordings. Does chores for their shisho. Mostly just performs opening numbers before the real stars and helps with backstage stuff.
- Futatsume, middle rank. Allowed to perform their own shows, but still secondary to the shin'uchi.
- Shin'uchi, the master. Recognized by the Rakugo Association as a master storyteller. Allowed to take on their own apprentices and perform difficult stories. Addressed as shisho.
Rakugo artists are given a stage name at each rank. This name can either be invented by their master, or it can be a pre-existing name of another performer. Succeeding the name of a famous rakugo artist is a great honor, though naturally it comes with additional expectations.
Apprentices learning under the same master become a family unit of sorts, addressing one another as brothers and sisters. Senior disciples are expected to look out for their "younger siblings", while junior disciples should show their "older siblings" due respect. Seniority is based on rank and experience, not on actual age. Even when the disciples are promoted and can start doing their own shows, they'll stay connected to their shisho throughout their entire career. Loyalty to one's shisho takes precedence over any other social hierarchy.
Rakugo shows
The basic structure of a rakugo show: the performer comes in accompanied by their own signature music (played backstage) and sits down on their cushion in a zeiza pose. They start with an introduction and a warm-up, which involves jokes and funny anecdotes to set the mood and lead into the main story. This also allows the performer to gauge their audience and pick an appropriate story from their repertoire. This part is more casual and addresses the audience members directly, whereas the main story follows more traditional formulas.
During the main story, the performer switches between characters not only by altering their body language and speech patterns, but also by moving the direction of their gaze right, left, up, or down to communicate spatial and social relations. The rules regarding eye movement are very specific. Although the performer can't rise from their cushion until their part is over, they can simulate walking and running by rocking back and forth on their knees and swinging their arms. With the very limited number of props, rakugo relies a lot on imaginative use of gestures and voice to bring the characters to life.
In longer shows, there are usually multiple performers coming in one after another. Usually the show is started by the lower-ranking performers, with masters being the main draw and taking the stage at the end. It's also common to have other types of entertainment in between rakugo sessions. These can be anything from song and dance to magic shows and acrobatics.
Rakugo stories
While they are very closely connected to Japanese culture and particularly the Edo period, the stories of rakugo tradition tend to center around universal experiences of the everyday people. There are no heroes or life lessons -- just people of all kinds going through their daily lives. Some are selfish and greedy, others are mostly benign though still flawed. There are quite a few genres within rakugo -- you have your scary stories and love stories, even if most of them come with comedic overtones.
Links to some rakugo performed in English:
English Rakugo on YouTube
A Rakugo show on PoliTikalon Blog
A Rakugo show at SF Library
Book source: Rakugo: Performing Comedy and Cultural Heritage in Contemporary Tokyo by Lorie Brau
Rakugo is a form of comedic storytelling originating in Japan's Edo period. A rakugo artist tells jokes and stories on a zabuton cushion, acting out all characters alone with no props besides a paper fan and a hand towel (called tenugui).
Life of a Rakugo Artist
While anyone can do amateur rakugo, becoming a true professional requires being accepted under the tutelage of a master. This is generally a long-term commitment. The master, or shisho, is responsible for the apprentice's well-being and is expected to provide them with financial stability. The apprentice in turn is expected to repay their debt by earning prestige through their career and subsequently improving their shisho's reputation. On the flip-side, a student's behavior and failures also reflect poorly on the shisho.
Three ranks:
- Zenza, or the apprentice. Learns through observation, recital and listening to tape recordings. Does chores for their shisho. Mostly just performs opening numbers before the real stars and helps with backstage stuff.
- Futatsume, middle rank. Allowed to perform their own shows, but still secondary to the shin'uchi.
- Shin'uchi, the master. Recognized by the Rakugo Association as a master storyteller. Allowed to take on their own apprentices and perform difficult stories. Addressed as shisho.
Rakugo artists are given a stage name at each rank. This name can either be invented by their master, or it can be a pre-existing name of another performer. Succeeding the name of a famous rakugo artist is a great honor, though naturally it comes with additional expectations.
Apprentices learning under the same master become a family unit of sorts, addressing one another as brothers and sisters. Senior disciples are expected to look out for their "younger siblings", while junior disciples should show their "older siblings" due respect. Seniority is based on rank and experience, not on actual age. Even when the disciples are promoted and can start doing their own shows, they'll stay connected to their shisho throughout their entire career. Loyalty to one's shisho takes precedence over any other social hierarchy.
Rakugo shows
The basic structure of a rakugo show: the performer comes in accompanied by their own signature music (played backstage) and sits down on their cushion in a zeiza pose. They start with an introduction and a warm-up, which involves jokes and funny anecdotes to set the mood and lead into the main story. This also allows the performer to gauge their audience and pick an appropriate story from their repertoire. This part is more casual and addresses the audience members directly, whereas the main story follows more traditional formulas.
During the main story, the performer switches between characters not only by altering their body language and speech patterns, but also by moving the direction of their gaze right, left, up, or down to communicate spatial and social relations. The rules regarding eye movement are very specific. Although the performer can't rise from their cushion until their part is over, they can simulate walking and running by rocking back and forth on their knees and swinging their arms. With the very limited number of props, rakugo relies a lot on imaginative use of gestures and voice to bring the characters to life.
In longer shows, there are usually multiple performers coming in one after another. Usually the show is started by the lower-ranking performers, with masters being the main draw and taking the stage at the end. It's also common to have other types of entertainment in between rakugo sessions. These can be anything from song and dance to magic shows and acrobatics.
Rakugo stories
While they are very closely connected to Japanese culture and particularly the Edo period, the stories of rakugo tradition tend to center around universal experiences of the everyday people. There are no heroes or life lessons -- just people of all kinds going through their daily lives. Some are selfish and greedy, others are mostly benign though still flawed. There are quite a few genres within rakugo -- you have your scary stories and love stories, even if most of them come with comedic overtones.
Links to some rakugo performed in English:
English Rakugo on YouTube
A Rakugo show on PoliTikalon Blog
A Rakugo show at SF Library
Book source: Rakugo: Performing Comedy and Cultural Heritage in Contemporary Tokyo by Lorie Brau
4/4
Oku-sama! I'm home!
Oh, Gonsuke. That was fast! Well, come. Come to my room. So, how did it go?
Oh, it was very good! Um, first, when we were crossing the bridge, we saw Yamada-san. And we talked about business.
Yamada-san... Well, he did say he was going to see Yamada-san, so that's fine. And then?
And then, the business went well so we went to the geisha house and we celebrated! We drank a lot of sake, we danced and sang and partied~ That was fun! And then we went to the riverside, and we took a boat out to the river and we did the net... net... net fishing! We caught a lot of fish, yes. Then Yamada-san and danna-sama felt really good, so they went to the hot springs inn and he is not coming home tonight!
...Gonsuke. Don't you think there is something really wrong with that story? You and danna-sama left here about ten minutes ago. Just how did you go to the geisha house and then party and go fishing and come back in ten minutes?
But... but, but, oku-sama! You can't say that! This is a rakugo story! What happened to using your imagination!?
...A-And Gonsuke brought you some fish from fishing! You want to see the fish?
[Sigh...] Fine. Let me see those fish.
OK, OK! First... this big fish came! [He lifts the fish out of the bag.] It's called salmon!
Gonsuke... You're from the mountainside so maybe you don't know, but salmon is something that can only be caught in the northern part of Japan. You don't get it in Tokyo.
Y-Yes, yes, yes, yes, I know that! But this salmon said, "Oh, it's so very cold in the northern part of Japan. I want to go somewhere warm!" So he came down to Tokyo and came up the river! He was soooo warm and relaxed... so we caught him very easily!
And then, we caught this guy called octopus! Yes. When we pulled him up on the boat, he was so cold, shaking like this! [He demonstrates.] So Gonsuke gave him a hot bath. Now he is so red! Yes, yes.
And then, we caught more things! Then we saw these small guys called tuna. These guys are so small, they have no eyes, no fins or tails. So they said...
"Everybody! Stick together! Stick together! Or we will be drowned!" So Gonsuke saw these guys on the surface of the water... and Gonsuke just grabbed them with his bare hands!
Gonsuke, Gonsuke... You cannot catch any of those fish around here. And how much did danna-sama give you to tell me that stupid story?
[His face falls.] Were you watching that!?
I wasn't watching, but I'm sure he gave you some money to tell me that story. [She holds her hand out.] Give me the money.
[His face crumbles. Reluctantly, he hands over some money, lip trembling.] Here...
One yen? I don't think so.
Uuuuuu.... [Sniffling, he hands over the second yen.]
Two yen. That sounds just about right.
O-Oku-sama, I'm sorryyyy! I'm sorry, oku-sama...! [Sob] B-B-But I promise, I'll catch danna-sama for you tomorrow...
...for the price of three yen.