Rakugo

Rakugo is a traditional Japanese musical genre that dates back to the Edo period (1603-1868). It is a form of comic storytelling, usually performed by a single storyteller (rakugoka) who sits on a stage and tells a story while using various vocal techniques and gestures. The stories are usually humorous and often involve puns and wordplay. The stories are usually accompanied by a shamisen, a three-stringed Japanese instrument. Rakugo is still popular today and is often performed in theaters and on television.