Rakugo Netacho

Rakugo is Japan's centuries-old art of comic storytelling: one performer kneeling on a cushion, armed only with a fan and a hand towel, plays every character. This is a guide to the classic stories, with the plot, the punchline, key scenes and the storytellers known for each one.

Today's picks

饅頭こわい ComicManju KowaiAfraid of ManjuWhen one man admits he is terrified of manju, sweet bean buns, his friends plot revenge by bringing him a mountain of them. ちりとてちん ComicChiritotechinThe Nagasaki DelicacyA man who claims to know everything is tricked into eating rotten tofu passed off as a Nagasaki delicacy. 品川心中 ComicShinagawa ShinjuLovers' Suicide at ShinagawaA courtesan plans a double suicide to save face, pushes her partner into the sea, and then the money turns up... 紺屋高尾 Human dramaKoya TakaoThe Dyer and TakaoA dyer falls for the courtesan Takao at first sight during her procession, and works for three years to meet her. A human-interest story. 寿限無 ComicJugemuThe Never-Ending NameA boy is named with every lucky word his father could find, so just calling him takes forever. 時そば ComicToki SobaSoba and the Time TrickA man sees someone cheat a noodle seller out of one coin by asking the time, and tries the same trick the next night... 目黒のさんま ComicMeguro no SanmaThe Saury of MeguroA lord discovers freshly grilled saury in Meguro, then is served a refined version at his mansion... 芝浜 Human dramaShibahamaShiba BeachA hard-drinking fishmonger finds a wallet stuffed with money, but his wife insists, “You must have dreamed it.” 死神 Ghost storiesShinigamiThe God of DeathA man becomes a famous doctor using a secret taught to him by Death himself, until a pile of money tempts him to break the rules... 火焔太鼓 ComicKaen DaikoThe Flame DrumA hopeless secondhand dealer buys a filthy old drum, and a lord unexpectedly wants to buy it...

All stories

A to Z 35 stories
Category
Characters
Season
Style

Visit a yose

Theaters, how to go, etiquette
GuideYose Guide: Rakugo Theaters in Tokyo, Kansai and BeyondFrom Tokyo's four full-time yose to theaters in Kansai, Nagoya and Yokohama, here is where to hear rakugo live, region by region.GuideYour First Yose: Getting In and Enjoying the ShowFrom buying a same-day ticket to reading the program and the difference between zenza and shin'uchi, the basics for your first visit.GuideYose Manners: Easy Etiquette for First-TimersThere are no difficult rules, just a little consideration so everyone around you can laugh comfortably.GuideEnmoku, Endai, Hanashi, Neta: Words for a Rakugo StoryJapanese has more than one word for a rakugo piece. Here is how each one is used and when.