Rakugo and Kobanashi - Demonstration, Talk and Performance Event You’re in a small, Japanese-style theatre room. The house lights are up, and you’re surrounded by a chattering, excited crowd. People are sipping ice tea from plastic bottles, fanning themselves, and looking towards the empty stage. Suddenly, a loud buzzer sounds and the crowd falls silent. The room remains shining brightly, but a lone man walks onto the stage and settles down into a seiza position on a cushion – legs neatly tucked under and back ramrod straight. The only items beside the man are a Japanese folding fan and tenugui (a cotton Japanese hand towel). As the sitting man begins to speak, he tran...

Japan Foundation