Rakugo

Rakugo is one of the traditional Japanese entertainments. It is a kind of one person comical play that originated at about the end of the Edo period and the beginning of the Meiji period. Laughter is everything to rakugo, there are many types for example the kind that laughs at one�fs failure and the kind that is warm and fulfilling.

 

There are three parts to Rakugo: the introduction (makura), the story (hondai) and the climax(Ochi). 1. The makura, draws the audience into the story; 2. the main story (hondai), Rakugo consists of conversation. Storytellers describe the story using speech and gestures, while trying not to use explanation as much as possible. Rakugo is not something to just listen to but to watch as well.