Rakugo Experience & Kimodameshi(Courage testing) tour at Old town Minamisenju!

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【Event Overview】

Let’s try Japanese cultural experience & summer activity with Japanize!
This time, we will have the experience of “Rakugo”(落語) and “Kimodameshi”(肝試し)!

Let’s try one of the most traditional Japanese cultural experience Rakugo with “Yokai”(Japanese ghost) stories at “Sentou(銭湯)” which is the Japanese traditional bathhouse,
and also let’s go out to the historical town of Minamisenju for “Kimodameshi”(Japanese summer style courage testing)!

“Yokai”(Japanese Ghost) story told with “Rakugo” is not just scary but sounds nonsense and somehow humorous.
Let’s try the long time handed down stories like “Rokurokubi” or “Shinigami”, and start to explore & look for the stories nowadays in Minamisenju at night!

※ We will translate Rakugo in English with the subtitles on the screen,
so you will see the real Japanese Rakugo and also can understand the story and enjoy!

1. What’s ”Rakugo”? (from wikipedia)

Rakugo is a Japanese verbal entertainment.

The lone storyteller (落語家 rakugoka) sits on stage, called Kōza (高座).

Using only a paper fan (扇子 sensu) and a small cloth (手拭 tenugui) as props, and without standing up from the seiza sitting position, the rakugo artist depicts a long and complicated comical story.

The story always involves the dialogue of two or more characters, the difference between the characters depicted only through change in pitch, tone, and a slight turn of the head.

2. What’s “Kimodameshi”?

This is common Japanese summer activities to visit the scary sites for courage testing.