We have a special guest from Japan on March 18th. Diane Kichijitsu, ダイアン吉日, a Rakugo performer living in Osaka, will visit San Francisco and perform Rakugo in English here at the Japan Society. Rakugo, especially in English, is quite a rarity in this area, so please take advantage of this opportunity.
What is Rakugo?
It is traditional Japanese comedic story telling, whose roots date back to the 16th century. Rakugo developed into a popular form of entertainment for the working class and spread rapidly throughout the urban areas. A single performer dressed in a kimono, kneeling on stage, with only a fan and towel as props, tells a story. Through various gestures, voice inflections, and facial expressions, the performer is able to vividly portray imaginary multiple characters on stage. The performer success comes from his ability to pull the audience into his imaginary world, and in Rakugo there are no limits to the imagination.
Diane Kichijitsu
Diane Kichijitsu hails from Liverpool, England and is a popular stage performer of Rakugo. Her deep knowledge of Japanese culture, extensive travel experiences as a globe-trotting backpacker, keen observations of cultural differences and humorous anecdotes of her surprising encounters in Japan form the basis of her hilarious Rakugo stories, as well as the numerous talks she delivers at schools, cultural exchange events and international study classes. Arriving in Japan in 1990 as part of her backpacking travels, she was introduced to the world of comic storytelling when she worked as a stage assistant for the late Katsura Shijaku, the renowned pioneer of Rakugo in English, and soon took up the art herself, performing a variety of works from well-loved classic to original stories from her own imagination. In recognition of how far her international activities have helped build a bridge between Japanese and overseas cultures, she was presented with the Nakasone Yasuhiro Award by the Institute for International Policy Studies (IIPS) in June 2013.
This event has limited space and registration is first come first served.  Please register early to ensure your spot in this event.  To register, please click here.
Date & Time:
Tuesday, 3/18, 6:15 pm – 7:45 pm
6:00 – 6:15 pm Registration
6:15 – 7:15 pm Program, Introduction to Rakugo, One story of Rakugo, Q & A
7:15 – 7:45 pm Networking
Location:
Japan Society of Northern California
500 Washington St., #300
San Francisco, CA 94111
Cost:
$5 Japan Society members
$8 Non-members
 *The deadline to RSVP for this event is Monday, March 17, 2014.  Refunds will not be made after this date.