Call for Participation: English Rakugo

2024/2/28
Consulate General of Japan in Istanbul and Bahçeşehir University will host Japan’s traditional comic storytelling “English Rakugo”. Registration is required. We look forward to your participation!

Date and Time: 12 March 2024, Tuesday, 2:00 PM
Place: Bahçeşehir University South Campus, Fazil Say Conference Hall
The event is free and open to everyone.
*Etkinlik dili İngilizcedir. Türkçe çeviri veya altyazı yoktur.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
*The students from Bahçeşehir University are not required to register.

What’s Rakugo

Rakugo is a traditional form of Japanese entertainment that has endured for over 400 years.  It involves a lone, kimono-clad storyteller who relates a variety of stories while kneeling on a floor cushion. The stories typically depict the lives of ordinary citizens and fall into three categories: comical, sentimental, and  frightful. The stories often conclude with a punchline.

Performars

Kanariya Koraku
Koraku made his rakugo debut at age 16. Trained under Master Ryoma Kingentei and Master Eiraku Kanariya to become Japan's first multilingual rakugo performer, he now regularly performs in Japan and abroad including a tour in California in 2023, France in 2022 and United Kingdom in 2019. Koraku is a founding member the English Rakugo Association.

Cyril Coppini
Originally from Nice, France, and a long-time resident of Japan for 27years, Cyril is one of the few non-Japanese rakugo performers. He has been performing since 2011 and held tours extensively around the world including countries such as France, Belgium, Canada, New Caledonia, Thailand and New Zealand. In October 2023, he was the first person to performed Rakugo in Paris famous music-hall « Olympia » (A Paris equivalent of Carnegie Hall in NY). Cyril is also a translator of various manga including Detective Conan and a TV presenter for NHK World and FM radio programs.

Kanariya Peako
A seasoned storyteller, Peako has 16 stories in English and 13 in Japanese to perform. Her
first encounter with Rakugo was when she was going through difficult times in life. After seeing Rakugo, she was able to laugh and found herself feeling happy. So she decided to become a performer herself! A famous Rakugo Performer said, “Rakugo is to accept human nature as it is.” Don’t try to judge, criticize, or learn from what they do in Rakugo stories. Just enjoy Rakugo!