Students lead organization of English Rakugo event

Tokyo Tech students again played a key role in organizing an English Rakugo event at Hisao & Hiroko Taki Plaza (Taki Plaza), the student exchange hub on Ookayama Campus, on December 6, 2023. The student organizers worked together with the Student Support Center to bring the traditional Japanese art of storytelling to a diverse group of campusgoers and local residents.

A total of 52 participants, including international students from Canada, Taiwan, Thailand, Poland, Germany, the Philippines, and other countries and regions offered a warm welcome to legendary rakugo performers Eiraku Kanariya, Koraku Kanariya, and Ichirin Kanariya from the English Rakugo Association as they took to the stage. In addition to the main performances, audience members were also treated to iromono, or separate music and street performances between the main acts, to create an atmosphere that resembled that of an actual Japanese-style yose theater.

This event was held as part of the Student Success Support Project, an initiative supported by Gurunavi Inc. Chairman and Director Hisao Taki, a Tokyo Tech alumnus. As in previous years, the event was co-organized by the Student Support Center's Student Success Support Section, the Student Support Division's Support Planning Group, and the Tokyo Tech Alumni Association.

Moderating the event in Japanese and English were Student Success Support Project student organizers Risako Yanagase and Teru Hashimoto.

The program kicked off with an English rakugo commentary by Eiraku, who offered a simple, clear explanation of some of the rules of rakugo. These included the use of kamite, stage left from the performer's perspective, and shimote, stage right from the performer's perspective, to describe different characters, and the use of props such as fans. Eiraku kept his audience engaged and entertained throughout the commentary, allowing them to learn more about this Japanese art form while enjoying themselves.

After this, the participants watched an English performance of Time Noodles by Eiraku, followed by the same story in Japanese by Koraku. By listening to the same performance in different languages, the participants were able to grasp the differences in nuances and expressions.

Next, Ichirin gave a tamasudare performance. It was the first time for many of the audience members to see a traditional bamboo mat performance, and they followed it with great interest.

After this, participants listened to four English rakugo performances, each with smooth storytelling, interesting body movements and gestures, and unique use of props. The audience was impressed. Laughter often coincided among both Japanese and international participants, suggesting that audience members understood the essence, regardless of their backgrounds.

During one of the intermissions, Eiraku offered his version of the iromono performance, Ukulele. The same song was performed in both Japanese and English, interspersed with jokes specific to the Japanese language that are difficult to render into English. Both the Japanese participants and international students enjoyed the different plays on words in both languages. Everyone appeared to enjoy the event from start to finish.

Student Success Support Project student organizers Namkyong Kim and Ryota Uehara emceed the event's closing, and Professor Sachiko Ito, head of the Student Support Center's Student Success Support Section, gave a brief speech to thank the rakugo performers and participants. "We will continue to plan events that promote interaction and exchange with Japanese culture, and we hope you will join us again next time," she concluded.

After a commemorative photo of all those present, students Kim and Uehara also offered some closing words in English and Japanese. Some participants stayed behind after the event to chat and take photos with the rakugo performers, while others were keen to hear a more detailed explanation of the bamboo mat performance.

This event presented a wonderful opportunity for international students to experience true Japanese culture, but also offered local participants a different perspective on the art of rakugo. The organizers look forward to hosting more cultural events that transcend borders at Taki Plaza.