Please note: the performers will speak Japanese with a translator interpreting in English.

Rakugo is a traditional storytelling performance. The performer sits on a 2′x2′ cushion on the stage and tells a story that may involve several characters. He may stand up on his knees but never on his feet. His only props are a fan and a tenugui (Japanese towel). In this Noon Lecture, Yanagiya Sankyo, one of the leading rakugo players in Japan, and Yanagiya Kyonosuke, his apprentice, will introduce and demonstrate the art of this wonderful Japanese culture. A Q&A session will follow the performance.

Performers:
Yanagiya Sankyo 柳家さん喬
Yanagiya Kyonosuke 柳家喬之助

Yanagiya Sankyo was born in 1948. He became an apprentice to Yanagiya Kosan V in 1967 and achieved the highest rank of rakugo performer — known as “shin-uchi (真打)” — in 1981. He excels at telling classic stories about human nature. He won a Japan Foundation Award in 2014, which honors people who help deepen international friendship over the long term.

Yanagiya Kyonosuke was born in 1971 and became an apprentice to Sankyo in 1993. He received a shin’uchi (真打) rank in 2007.

Co-organized by the U-M Japanese Language Program & Center for Japanese Studies.
Co-sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Japan Business Society of Detroit Foundation.