| Description |
Rakugo is a traditional comic storytelling of Japan with 400 years of history and is still enjoyed among people of all ages. Until recently, this art was performed only in Japanese but due to a growing interest in Japanese pop culture worldwide as well as rakugo themed manga/animations, we started to perform rakugo in different languages about a decade ago and toured around the world. In this stage, we present you with an authentic comic theatre by combining rakugo and shamisen, a traditional three-stringed instrument known for its loud, powerful sound, fast-paced rhythms, and expressive improvisational style, often compared to jazz. We will also include a traditional street performance called bamboo mat show in which a performer creates all kinds of shapes such as animals, popular items as well as architecture along with a song using only a bamboo shade. We believe this will be the very first English rakugo show in Austria.
| Language |
English
| Biography |
Kanariya Koraku is a diplomat-turned rakugo storyteller. Despite the growing interest in Japanese culture around the globe, the art of traditional comic storytelling, rakugo has remained largely unknown overseas due to the language barrier. Having always felt that it would be a shame to keep the enjoyment of rakugo only to Japanese speakers, Koraku is now committed to spreading the appeal of rakugo to the world by performing it in English and other languages. His first rakugo performance dates back to 1986 when he was still in high school. After a brief break, he returned to the world of rakugo in 2018 and studied traditional rakugo under Master Kingentei Ryoma, English rakugo under Master Kanariya Eiraku. He is one of the few rakugo-ka who perform rakugo in multiple languages. Additionally, he also dabbles in magic and shamisen comic talk. He regularly performs in Asakusa, Tokyo, and has toured around the world covering such places as the UK (London, Manchester, York, Edinburgh, etc.), France (Paris, Nice, Cannes, Marseille, Tours, Strasbourg), the US (San Jose, San Francisco), Turkey (Istanbul), Denmark (Copenhagen). He is a founding board member of the English Rakugo Association. He holds a BA from Waseda University and a MPhil from the University of Cambridge.
Kanariya Ichirin is a rakugo performer who is captivated by the joy of making international audiences burst into laughter. She was trained in classical Japanese rakugo under Kokontei Kokoma and mastered English rakugo under Kanariya Eiraku. Her repertoire includes 18 traditional Japanese rakugo pieces and 26 in English. As a director of the English Rakugo Association, she organizes and performs in rakugo events both in Japan and internationally. In addition to performances in Japan, she has performed in the U.S., Georgia, the UK, Finland, Korea since 2015. Additionally, she is also a seasoned English language lecturer.
Kanariya Nuts is a bilingual rakugo storyteller with a background in finance. Since 2012, Nuts has studied classical rakugo under Katsura Bunjaku and is currently training under Kingentei Kokoma. He started training English rakugo in 2015 under Kanariya Eiraku as well as Nanking Tamasudare (a traditional bamboo mat show) under Shirato Otohime. He has performed in San Francisco, Seattle, Tbilisi (Georgia), London, and Vientiane (Laos), bringing laughter to the world through the traditional entertainment. Recently, he was awarded a Master of Medical Science degree from the Juntendo University for his research on the medical effects of laughter. Born in Chiba Prefecture in 1967.
Oyama Kouzan, while at university, encountered Tsugaru shamisen and began studying under Mitsugu Oyama, the head of the Oyama school of Tsugaru shamisen. Kouzan is now a certified instructor of the Oyama school. With his own Tsugaru shamisen group "Shishido," he won the Tsugaru Shamisen World Championship (held in Hirosaki, Aomori) for two consecutive years. Kouzan has performed with renowned artists, appeared on television and in various media, and has given numerous overseas performances.
Mike Reedy, playing shamisen under the guidance of master grade teacher Kouzan Oyama, is a passionate musician with a deep appreciation for traditional music. In pursuit of the traditional sound, he performed at the birthplace of Jongara-bushi. Through music, he aims to convey the beauty and spirit of Japanese culture to audiences around the world. 2024: Competed in Youth C individual division of the Tsugaru shamisen World Cup. 2025: Third Place Winner in Group A division of the Tsugaru Shamisen World Cup. 2025: Second Place in the Group Nebuta Division at the Tsugaru Shamisen Japan Championship.
| Date & Time |
u:japan culture | 2025-11-21
Friday 2025-11-21, 16:15~17:45
| Venue |
