The Comic Storytelling of Western Japan: Satire and Social Mobility in Kamigata Rakugo

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M. W. Shores (University of Sydney)

The Comic Storytelling of Western Japan

Satire and Social Mobility in Kamigata Rakugo

M. W. Shores (University of Sydney)

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English

Cambridge University Press
12 August 2021

Theatre Studies; Literature, Poetry & Criticism; Literature: history & criticism; Literary studies: general; Literary studies: plays & playwrights

Rakugo, a popular form of comic storytelling, has played a major role in Japanese culture and society. Developed during the Edo (1600–1868) and Meiji (1868–1912) periods, it is still popular today, with many contemporary Japanese comedians having originally trained as rakugo artists. Rakugo is divided into two distinct strands, the Tokyo tradition and the Osaka tradition, with the latter having previously been largely overlooked. This pioneering study of the Kamigata (Osaka) rakugo tradition presents the first complete English translation of five classic rakugo stories, and offers a history of comic storytelling in Kamigata (modern Kansai, Kinki) from the seventeenth century to the present day. Considering the art in terms of gender, literature, performance, and society, this volume grounds Kamigata rakugo in its distinct cultural context and sheds light on the 'other' rakugo for students and scholars of Japanese culture and history.

By: M. W. Shores (University of Sydney)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 158mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 535g
ISBN: 9781108831505
ISBN 10: 1108831508
Pages: 270
Publication Date: 12 August 2021
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Author's Preface: COVID-19 and Tenugui Face Masks; Introduction; Part I. 1. Kamigata, Osaka; 2. The History of Kamigata Rakugo; 3. What Constitutes a Kamigata Rakugo Story?; 4. Geidan: An Interview with Hayashiya Somemaru IV (1949–); 5. Conclusion; Part II. 6. Five Kamigata Rakugo Classics.

M. W. Shores is a Lecturer of Japanese at The University of Sydney, and has been a Fellow of Peterhouse at the University of Cambridge. Shores has spent over a decade in Japan for research and apprenticeships with two of Kamigata rakugo's respected practitioners, Katsura Bunshi V and Hayashiya Somemaru IV.

Reviews for The Comic Storytelling of Western Japan: Satire and Social Mobility in Kamigata Rakugo

'Shores includes five translations of full rakugo classics from the Kamigata repertoire, providing many performance details and giving readers a better idea of what this lively, raucous art form might be like to experience live ... Recommended.' C. Lanki, Choice Connect