English-Rakugo Comedy Show😄Shogun's Garden Walk🌿& City Tower View!

LET'S ENJOY SPLENDID CULTURAL TREASURES OF TOKYO!
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Enjoy a relaxing day with us, strolling in an elegant 17th Century Samurai family Garden, have a picnic lunch, then enjoy a hilarious English Language, "Sit-down comedy" Rakugo Show before viewing Tokyo from an awesome, modern 25th floor Civic Center observatory!
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Whether you're a fan of the arts, love photography, or want to enjoy cultural exchange, our event has something for everyone! Come for an experience that will leave you with lifelong memories, new friends & a deeper appreciation of Japanese culture!
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Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward is full of entertainment areas, such as Tokyo Dome City, but many of the historical & cultural assets date back 4 centuries, since it was beside the moat of famous Edo Castle!
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The Mito-branch of the powerful Tokugawa clan had a large estate here & although much of it was engulfed by the modern city, the most beautiful features of their beautiful private estate-gardens remain for us to enjoy!
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Construction on the gardens began in 1629 by Yorifusa, founder of the Mito Tokugawa family, as gardens for his Edo mansion. Composed of scenic hills, ponds, fields & bridges circled by paths, these lovely features were based on Confucian ideas with advice from Ming-era Chinese Confucian, "Shu Shunsui".
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Chinese influence may be seen in the various sceneries named after famous Chinese locations. Korakuen was designated a special historical & scenic spot in 1952 under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties.
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Since gorgeous water-lilies, or "Hasu" are now blooming, let's tour these historic gardens from late morning until noon, enjoy eating mid-day snacks, or obento lunches in the gardens, then stroll through the neighborhood to attend a performance by the excellent "Tokyo Kaishi-Kai English-Rakugo Club" at the Bunkyo Kumin Culture Center. The show will be presented from 1-4pm!
(If we have time after viewing the Gardens, we'll stop by Ushi-Tenjin-Jinja, a small, but important Shinto shrine dedicated to Heian-era scholar, "Sugawara no Michizane", the patron "kami" or deity of all teachers and students!)
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RAKUGO is often referred to as Japanese "sit-down" or even, "kneel-down" comedy. 😂 Rakugo is more than just the telling of jokes. It’s also a collection of expressive stories conveying Japanese culture & preserving knowledge about Japan’s past. The stories are usually about common people & their everyday lives. They illustrate social relationships & lifestyles of the past as viewed from today.
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Rakugo stories are normally told in Japanese, but today, many professional "rakugo-ka" (as Rakugo performers are called) tell their stories in English so that people from other countries can enjoy them too!
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One of the most famous of these rakugo-ka is Kaishi Katsura, who is the master of the Kaishi-kai English Rakugo Club.
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After the performances I will take you to enjoy, expansive views of Tokyo & maybe even Mount Fuji, from the awe-inspiring tower view-deck of the magnificent Bunkyo Civic Center Observation Lounge!
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(文京シビックセンター展望ラウンジ )
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FREE ADMISSION!
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PLEASE NOTE: Koishikawa-Korakuen garden admission: General: 300 yen, 65 years and older: 150 yen (Free for elementary school students and younger, or junior high school students living and attending Tokyo)
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PLEASE WEAR RUBBER-SOLED WALKING SHOES & DON'T FORGET TO BRING a LUNCH OR SNACKS & a beverage!
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There's no set Meetup fee, but we work very hard to plan interesting events & to guide you to the best places, so please give generously!
(Suggested donation: Student or unemployed:￥500-1000, others: from ￥2000 to 5000. It's really your choice!)
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KIDS are WELCOME & free to join with a parent!
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THIS WILL BE FUN, SO LET'S ALL GO!
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Your Meetup organizer, Kerry Drew
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