Performing Arts

The Art of Yose: An Evening of Storytelling, Mimicry and Laughter

date & time

FRIDAY, April 4, 2025
7PM-9PM (PDT)

Free Admission, RSVP required

Click here to Register

In partnership with the Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities and with the support of JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles, The Japan Foundation, Los Angeles, is proud to offer an intimate evening of four Japanese spoken theater performances. 

Four master performers will showcase their unique approaches to three types of storytelling. San'yūtei Hakucho and Ryūtei Komichi will each perform rakugo, a comic narrative with multiple characters played by one performer. Edoya Nekohachi will recreate the sounds of common and rare animals through monomane, or mimicry, following the 120-year Edoya tradition. And Kanda Yōko will perform kōdan, an oral tradition that reimagines famous events as fantastic tales. Introductory remarks will be provided by Dr. Satoko Shimazaki, Associate Professor of Asian Languages and Cultures at UCLA.

This event is part of an exclusive North American tour produced by Momoe Melon with stops at Yale University and the University of Chicago. It presents a rare opportunity for people in Los Angeles to experience Japanese spoken theater performed by renowned entertainers from Japan. 

About the Performers and their Performances:

San'yūtei Hakucho

Born in Jōetsu, Niigata, in 1963. He graduated from the Literary Studies department in the College of Art at Nihon University. In July 1986, he became the second pupil of San'yūtei Enchō and received the house name San'yūtei. In March 1990, he was promoted to second rank and was given the stage name San'yūtei Niigata. In September 2001, he was promoted to shinuchi, the highest rank of rakugo performer, and received the stage name San'yūtei Hakucho. 

Performance: Ninkyō Nagareyama Dōbutsuen

A newly created rakugo story by San'yūtei Hakuchō inspired by the world of Shimizu Jirocho Den, a classic rokyoku tale of chivalry, but reimagined with animals including pigs, tigers, and chickens in place of ninkyō gangsters. A battle between the weak farm animals and the powerful predators begins! 

Edoya Nekohachi

Born in Tokyo in 1977 as the eldest son of Nekohachi IV and became his pupil in 2009. In 2012, he became a member of the Rakugo Association. In 2019, he was awarded the Hanagata Engei Grand Prize. In 2020, he was awarded the Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. In March 2023, he received the name Nekohachi V. In 2024, he was named director of the Rakugo Association. 

Performance: Animal Mimicry

Edoya Nekohachi's Animal Mimicry is a unique performance that recreates the distinctive cries and sounds of animals. He even improvises mimicry of animals that don’t make sounds at all. Enjoy a performance full of laughter, surprise, and the fascinating world of animal voices! 

Kanda Yōko

Born in Tokyo. In 1974, she became the pupil of Kanda Sanyō II. In 1988, she was promoted to shinuchi. In 2012, she enrolled in the School of Human Sciences at Waseda University. In 2016, she founded and became a member of the board of directors of the Japan Kōdan Promotion Association. In 2017, she graduated from the School of Human Sciences at Waseda University. And in 2022, she became a member of the Rakugo Arts Association. 

Performance: Gorōmasamune Koshiden

A dramatic retelling of the rise of the famous Kamakura period swordsmith Gorō Masamune. His apprenticeship under a man named Yukimitsu leads to a tumultuous series of events involving betrayal, crimes of passion, punishment, and sacrifice. This is a story of filial piety and perseverance. 

Ryūtei Komichi

Born in Tokyo. In 2003, she became the pupil of Ryūtei Enji VII and is a grand-disciple of the Living National Treasure Yanagiya Kosanji X. In 2017, she was the first woman in rakugo history to be promoted to shinuchi while being a mother of two children. She headlines at all four of the major rakugo theaters in Tokyo and continues to create rakugo in the classical tradition with a focus on the roles of women. 

Performance: Soba-sei

This is a fresh take on the classic rakugo tale Soba-Sei, which originally features a man named Seibei, an extreme soba enthusiast. In this new version by Ryūtei Komichi, the protagonist is reimagined as a woman named Seiko whose seemingly insatiable appetite for soba draws an increasingly curious audience.