On Friday, July 6, 2026, an English rakugo workshop was held as part of the “Intercultural Experience Program”, supported by the Yokohama National University Alumni Association. The event took place at the Information Lounge of the Central Library and featured Mr. Kanariya Eiraku, an instructor from the English Rakugo Association.

International students experienced rakugo, a traditional Japanese performing art. The workshop began with participants eagerly anticipating how rakugo would be performed in English. When Mr. Eiraku, dressed in a traditional haori, took the stage to the accompaniment of debayashi (traditional entrance music), the venue quickly took on the atmosphere of a traditional rakugo theater.

The workshop opened with an introduction to rakugo. The Participants learned about its history, storytelling techniques, and the use of the sensu (folding fan) and tenugui (hand towel). Using a fan as chopsticks, they mimicked eating and slurping soba noodles, drawing laughter from the audience. Mr. Eiraku also demonstrated how a tenugui could become a roasted sweet potato, showing the imaginative nature of rakugo.

After learning the basics, participants watched an English-language performance of Jugemu, one of the most famous classic rakugo stories. The story is a comedy about a child given an extraordinarily long name in the hope of ensuring a long life. As he explained the characters and key expressions, Mr. Eiraku drew the audience into the story through rakugo's distinctive style of storytelling.

Participants then had the opportunity to try rakugo themselves. After practicing a short comic story, they took turns performing on stage. Despite it being their first attempt, they confidently portrayed different characters by changing the direction of their gaze, earning warm applause from the audience.

The event concluded with a performance of Nankin Tamasudare, a traditional Japanese performance art. Through Mr. Eiraku's engaging storytelling, participants experienced the charm of rakugo and gained a deeper understanding of Japanese culture.

Participants commented, "I was amazed that rakugo could be performed in English," and "The international students did an excellent job performing rakugo, and it was a pleasure to watch them."