As a practitioner of the traditional Japanese art of “rakugo” comic storytelling, Ramune goes out of her way to make people laugh. That she does so in three languages might be a first in Japan. A ...

Yanagiya Kosanji, a famed “rakugo” comic storyteller designated a national treasure, died at his home in Tokyo on Oct. 7. He was 81. He was known for telling amusing stories about the peculiarities of ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Billboard Japan’s Women in Music initiative launched in 2022 to celebrate artists, producers and executives who have made ...

In Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district, twice a day each day—at 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM—long queues form in front of a wooden building festooned with large, colorful flags. This is a traditional Japanese ...

Hayashiya Tsuruko is breaking new ground by reinterpreting the Japanese art of classic rakugo comic storytelling from a woman's perspective. She talks about her message for modern audiences. In March ...

Katsura Sunshine's Rakugo has been captivating New York audiences for over five years with the 400-year-old Japanese art of comic storytelling. Now in its sixth year at New World Stages, the show is ...

Yes, some Rakugo stories can be successfully translated into English. One such example is Rakugo by Katsura Sunshine, a Canadian Rakugo performer who went through the traditional apprenticeship in ...

Rakugo performer Hayashiya Tsuruko shared her perspective on being one of the still relatively few women in this traditional profession of comedic storytelling. By Billboard Japan Billboard Japan’s ...