お久しぶりです！Long time no see!

It’s about time for an update, and I hope you are ready for more of my Rakugo.

Guess what?

For the last few months, I have been working on a book about Rakugo in English, and about 1/3 of the book has been written so far.

I will probably publish it either as an e-book or a self-published book unless of course a really reckless, risk-taking publisher approaches me 🙂

It could be you.

I am planning to finish the final draft by the end of the year and look into publication early next year.

Keep an eye out for an update here!

In terms of Rakugo performance, the biggest development is that I have just established an agreement to perform Rakugo regularly at “Tsudoi”, a bimonthly Japanese/ English conversation group run by the New Zealand Japan Society of Auckland.

I will probably start performing in November and then decide how frequently I should do Rakugo there.  I was told that I can perform as often as I want to… how awesome is that?

It will be casual sessions, and I am likely to try out new stories and some experimental Rakugo… possibly even Sandai Banashi (三題噺）, an improvised Rakugo?

There are some other shows that are getting confirmed:

1. 1. Update 14.10.18: Due to an injury, this show now has been cancelled 😦 Selwyn Village (43 Target St, Point Chevalier): Thursday 18 October 10:30 AM * This show is mainly for the residents but open to the public.  Make sure to park outside the gate to avoid towing!!!
   2. Onehunga Library (85 Church Street, Onehunga): Date to be confirmed but it will be mid-late November
   3. Retirement home in Royal Oak: I am not too sure if this one is open to public, but if so, I will let you know here or on my Twitter.  It should be sometime in October or November.  My second visit there.
   4. The Spreading Tree (37 Mount Eden Road, Grafton): This is my main show and the last one this year funded by the Creative Communities Scheme.  It will be either late November or early December.

Hope to see you there!

 

I have just received an interview for a New Zealand based Japanese magazine called “Gekkan NZ”.  If you live in New Zealand, you can get a copy from a Japanese restaurant or a Japanese grocer like Japan Mart.

Sorry it’s all in Japanese and Google Translate doesn’t work as it’s jpg… well, it doesn’t work anyway 😉

Exciting news!

Five new Shinuchi （真打）will be born this month!

“Shinuchi” (pronounced “Shin uchi”) is the master status in the Rakugo world i.e. the highest rank that a Rakugo performer can ever achieve.  Only by achieving this status, you are allowed to perform as the headliner in a line-up show and take your own apprentice to preserve the Rakugo tradition.

It normally takes roughly 15 years of full time training to reach this status.

What makes this news even more exciting is that one of the five new Shinuchi this time round is a woman!

Rakugo was traditionally developed by men, and it wasn’t until 1993 that female Shinuchi were born.  I used the plural form because in fact two female Shinuchi, Kokontei Kikuchiyo (古今亭菊千代) and Sanyutei Karuta (三遊亭 歌る多), were born in the same year!

And this month Kokontei Kikuchiyo’s apprentice Kokontei Komako (古今亭駒子) will become a Shinuchi, therefore becoming the first time ever female master-disciple both reaching the Shinuchi status in history.

Rakugo is evolving.

Incorporating more feminine elements into Rakugo will definitely transform this art form.

Exciting time we live in!

If you read Japanese, you can find more information on this page.