Japanese Students Perform Rakugo Comic Stories in English

By Taku Iida / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

2:00 JST, March 23, 2026

Students challenge themselves to perform rakugo storytelling in English in a unique lecture series offered at a university in Osaka Prefecture.

The course is offered at Osaka Shoin Women’s University in Higashi-Osaka. Can students deliver laughs in English through the traditional storytelling art form, which is difficult even in Japanese?

Classic pieces translated

On one afternoon in mid-February, two students dressed in hakama robes took the stage in the university’s hall and performed the classic rakugo pieces, “Toki Udon” (Time noodles) and “Neko no Chawan” (Cat’s bowl) in English.

They condensed the main parts of the stories into about five minutes using easy-to-understand vocabulary. The audience of about 80 local residents listened intently to their smooth delivery, erupting in laughter at the punchlines.

Hikono Yamazaki, a 20-year-old student, looked relieved after her performance.

“I feel like I’ve gained the ability to speak in a way that gets my message across, while watching the audience’s reactions,” she said.

A 22-year-old performer Rika Ryugo saw this stage as a precious experience for her future, saying, “Even if I face a tense situation as a working adult in the future, I think I can tackle it with confidence, thinking about overcoming that stage performance,”

They are third and fourth-year students in the Department of English as an International Language at the Faculty of Liberal Arts. The performances were staged to showcase their achievement at an elective compulsory course “Performance English.”

The presentation was inspired by on-campus events of English rakugo by professional storytellers. Professor Emeritus Yoshiyuki Fujisawa, who teaches the course, organized such events, inviting rakugoka, and one day students expressed interest in trying it themselves, leading to the start of the class in 2007.

Gaining confidence

Rakugoka Katsura Kaishi, 56, serves as a visiting professor for the course to instruct the students in rakugo. Kaishi has performed the traditional storytelling form in English worldwide for about 30 years.

In the course, the students sit on a stage set up in the classroom, beginning from self-introductions and gradually moving to short comic stories in several lines and short rakugo pieces. They learn specific techniques, such as how to vary the pace of dialogue and how to use props including fans and hand towels. They also learn how to change the direction of their face because in rakugo where one performer plays multiple characters, the technique is crucial to clearly indicate who is speaking now.

According to Fujisawa, the key is to choose pieces that have interesting storyline and structure because when telling stories in English, there is no room to rely on the humor of Japanese expressions and phrasing. Fujisawa noted that even in different language, the fundamental movements can convey its humor effectively, adding that advanced communication skills are needed alongside language proficiency.

Students practice hard memorizing lines during commute and analyzing themselves by filming themselves performing at home.

About 100 students have taken the course to date, Fujisawa said.

When the course was launched, many of the students had experience in theater and similar fields. In recent years, however, more students, overcoming their reserved personalities, take the class, saying they wanted to express something or change themselves. Some students reportedly performed brief comic stories during job interviews.

“Rakugo helps easily cultivate expressive skills by embodying characters through gestures and expressions,” Fujisawa said. “It also helps develop the ability to observe listeners’ reactions.”

“The fact that rakugo can make people laugh even when the language is replaced shows its depth as humor that transcends time and borders,” said Kaishi. “I want many students to experience it and gain confidence.”

Manju replaced by hamburger

English rakugo is said to have been started in 1983 by rakugoka Katsura Shijaku. According to the English Rakugo Association, at an English language course Shijaku was attending, he tried his hand at performing rakugo in English at his instructor’s suggestion when he ran out of topics to talk about.

English rakugo performances are popular overseas, sometimes drawing audiences of 200 to 300 people. They are performed with local adaptations, such as changing “Manju Kowai” (Scared of manju) to “Hamburger Kowai” (Scared of hamburgers) and featuring names of local chain stores.

Several foreigners also participate in the association’s online courses from overseas.

“Rakugo’s folksy humor resonates universally. We aim to expand our activities and share its appeal further,” said Kanariya Eiraku, the association’s representative director.