English Rakugo performer and actor based in NZ. A full-time rebel with common sense. A lover of art, books, comedy, Japanese culture/ language, music, peace, positivity, theatre, and trivia. Idealistic, but ain't no saint.
鹿鳴家英志（本名：中辻拓志）。ニュージーランドを拠点とする役者・英語落語パフォーマー。アメリカへの演劇留学をきっかけに、気付くと海外滞在20年。現在ニュージーランドに永住中。アメリカの4大卒業後は日本で英会話講師を経験、その後ニュージーランドの高校教師資格を取得する。ニュージーランドでは英語にてスタンダップコメディーを行い、2005年ニュージーランド国際コメディーフェスティバルの新人大会にて全国優勝を果たす。その後、テレビドラマ、CM等に出演、テレビのレポーターも勤める。
“Five exclamation marks, the sure sign of an insane mind. “
– Terry Pratchett
Hi all, Eishi here!!!!! Hope you are doing well wherever you are in this world!!!!!
As Great Grandmaster Pratchett revealed, I am aware that an overuse of exclamation marks would make me look insane, but…
what would you expect from a rakugo performer, eh?
Anyway…
I am letting you know that I have just been invited to perform at the Taste of Japan in January 2021! (OK, one exclamation mark is sufficient now…)
Before committing to the gig, I really wanted to see the venue to make sure it was suited for rakugo, so I visited ASB Waterfront Theatre this afternoon to check it out and have a meeting.
OMG… it was one of the most beautiful theatres I’ve ever been!!! No wonder it is the home of Auckland Theatre Company!!!
I am only given 15 mins max, though…
Hmm, I am not known as the most succinct person.
What shall I perform… but WOW I am really excited!!!!!
Hi there, how are you doing? Hope everything is well with you 🙂
As a part of my Online Rakugo Project, I have just decided to write commentaries about my stories so that you can understand and enjoy them better.
I am also secretly hoping that it would increase viewership magically.
I will be talking about the origins of the stories, techniques, and other trivia.
The first up is “Chotan” (長短) or “Long-Tempered vs. Short-Tempered”.
It is said that this story is based on “Wakan Rikutsu Monogatari” (和漢理屈物語), which was published in 1667.
This title, by the way, roughly translates as “Logical Tales from Japan and China”, but I have no idea what is so logical about it…
As the title suggests, the concept of “Chotan” originated in China, and the same story is found in “Xiao Fu” (笑府: Pronounced “Shouhu” in Japanese) written by Feng Menglong (1574–1646).
So this is actually a Chinese story if we go all the way back.
The premise of this rakugo is what would happen if someone with the shortest-temper becomes the best friend with someone who is extremely laid-back.
I was told by my master that this story is performed with face.
So… pay attention to my facial expressions to enjoy this story!
Feel free to ask me questions in the comment section below.
Our desire for beauty, whether you are a man or a woman, is universal.
If we had a choice, most of us would probably opt in for looking gorgeous than the other way around. (To avoid misunderstanding and potential loss of readership, I would like to add that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.)
The people of Edo (1603-1868) were no different.
Readers, be prepared to be surprised by what they used for cosmetics to stay youthful.
The most common beauty product was nuka or rice bran.
They put rice bran in a bag and washed their body with it.
It is still sold in Japan, and I have tried it a few times myself. It actually works, and your skin will be noticeably smoother.
They also used funori, a kind of seaweed.
It was used as hair product to keep their hair nice and shiny. They melted it in hot water and mixed with other ingredients like flour.
But the ultimate beauty product of Edo was…
Drum roll, please…
Japanese bush warbler or uguisu’s waste.
They smeared this bird’s… ahem… poop on their faces!!!
It was very expensive and cost a fortune.
I have no idea how they collected it, but that will be my next research topic.
And guess what, it is STILL used in Japan though it isn’t common, and you can purchase it online wherever you are in the world.
If you ever decide to give it a go, please send me the before and after photos.
Hi all, how have you been? Hope everything is well with you over there!
I usually post my monthly updates on my YouTube channel called “What’s Up With Eishi?”, but this month I am writing one instead because I was literally voiceless for about 3 weeks and my voice is still around its 80% capacity as of today…
It all started during Auckland Lockdown 2.0.
One morning, I woke up with this violent pain in my throat, and I was convinced it probably would be… the virus.
Resigned to my fate, I let this super friendly nurse with super beautiful smiles stick a stick in my nostril.
Really… REALLY deep… which made me teary.
I remember feeling a sense of respect and fear at the same time for her to keep smiling all the way through the procedure.
Anyway, it turned out negative!
But this virus or bacteria caused the worst throat infection in my entire life…
The swollen larynx blocked my air pipe in my sleep the first 4-5 nights, which kept me awake most of the night.
Excuse my drivelling, but I just noticed…
You are not really here to read about my sufferings, are you?
In conclusion, my voice is back to about 80%, and I have started performing rakugo as usual!
I kicked off this week with a rakugo workshop for language teachers at my alma mater, the University of Auckland.
This morning I ran an online rakugo workshop for an intermediate school in Wellington.
I am working as an actor this Saturday and doing a play reading for Babel Theatre. It will be held at TAPAC, but I am not sure if it will be open to public.
You can probably gatecrash if you are really desperate (no guarantee!).
But the biggest news this month is…
The funding for developing a documentary film/ art installation has been granted!!!
I will be working with a very established documentary filmmaker.
It will deal with the concepts of war, aikido, and rakugo.
We are about to start this project next week!!!
And of course, I have to finish my Online Rakugo Project, which is due on Christmas Day!!!
I forgot to add that the rakugo club is returning at the end of the month! The venue is moving to Onehunga.
I am letting you know that my new podcast is just about to go live… as soon as I post this blog entry!!!
The show is called ‘Japanese Street Wisdom– A Rakugo Performer’s Musings’, and I will be talking about Japanese wisdom from the past that I learn through my rakugo practice.
As you can see, it is still a rough-cut, but I NEEDED to post the first episode asap as it is the first step nonetheless, and from now on it will force me to keep posting new episodes.
The bright side of posting the first episode anyway, regardless of its quality, is that from here onward, it will always be up and up!!!
It will be also available on Spotify, iTunes, and YouTube.
English Rakugo NZ 