Rakugo! Japanese sit-down comic storytelling

Rakugo (落語, literally “fallen words”) is a form of Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone storyteller (落語家 rakugoka) sits on stage, called Kōza (高座).

Rakugo has entertained generations of Japanese since the 17th century. From ghosts to geisha, samurai to salaryman, a solo performer brings scores of characters vividly to life in tales punctuated by various tones of voice, gestures, and facial expressions with a folding fan and hand towel as his only props.

Join the Department of Religious Studies for this unique cultural performance that will have you laughing in the aisles!

Admission is free – Open to the public
When: Monday, January 4, 2019, 7 p.m.
Where: The Black Box Theater, L.R. Wilson Hall, McMaster University

About Yanagiya Tozaburo III
Born and raised in Tokyo, Yanagiya Tozaburo became a disciple of master Rakugo performer Yanagiya Gontaro III in 1999 after dropping out of a prestigious private university. He was promoted to the master Shin’uchi rank, in which he himself is certified to train disciples, in 2014. Ever since, he has performed all over Japan and appeared in the Shoten Rakugo show and other television programs.