<
https://theconversation.com/meet-katsura-niyo-the-young-female-rising-star-in-the-traditionally-male-japanese-art-form-rakugo-173236>
"Rakugo is among Japan’s more humble performing arts: a solo performer, dressed
in traditional kimono, sits on a plush cushion and narrates stories lasting
twenty or thirty minutes, assuming the roles of every character. A simple
folding fan and handkerchief stand in for anything from a writing brush to a
roasted sweet potato.
While rakugo has been described as “sit-down comedy”, it’s far from an Eastern
analogue of what we know as stand-up comedy. It is an orally transmitted art
with a much longer history. With two distinct traditions based in Osaka and
Tokyo, rakugo as we know it dates back about 150 years, but precursors go back
centuries.
Today more artists than ever (around 850) call rakugo their occupation.
Respected as knowledgeable conveyors of history and cultural heritage, many are
also on radio and TV. But it has always been a traditionally male art form. The
first woman, Tsuyu no Miyako, joined the profession in 1974, and still today
women make up only 7% of rakugo artists."
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
