Laugh in Translation: English Rakugo with Tatekawa Shinoharu

Tonight, with my recent university class still on my mind I made my way to downtown Tokyo to see my first ever live show of rakugo in English. It turned out to be a surprisingly entertaining evening as Tatekawa Shinoharu, a professional hanashika who graduated from Yale, drew me in with his skilled technique and unique translation of several famous rakugo stories. Actually I didn't really come in with that high of expectations. I was more interested in seeing the reaction of the audience (which was a mix of foreigners and Japanese) and perhaps gaining some hints on how to perform better myself. Shinoharu started out with some stories which I had already seen performed in Japanese and English (the Zoo, Hatsutengu, Jugemu) and although I was impressed with his considerable English ability (the best I had seen of Japanese performers) and rakugo skills I wasn't seeing anything new.  It was after the intermission when he started in with the story "Nezumi" that he really succeeded in drawing me in. His telling of the heartwarming and humorous story of a small inn run by an old man and his grandson made me forget the novelty of listening to rakugo in English and just focus on the characters and their plight. I would highly recommend Shinoharu for foreigners with an interest in rakugo or for veteran rakugo fans (Japanese or otherwise) who want to see the art form in a different light. (Click the image above to visit Tatekawa Shinoharu's official website)