Rakugo, made simple for newcomers.
Rakugo is Japan's classic sit-down comedy: one storyteller, a fan and a cloth, and a whole cast of characters brought to life.
Discover the great stories, meet the performers, and find your first show — with plots explained (punchlines kept secret) and a beginner-friendly glossary.
Performers
1,379
A directory of masters and active artists
Stories
550
From famous classics to hidden gems
Glossary
Yose ›
Key rakugo terms, explained in English
🔰 First stories to try
Four short, friendly classics that make a perfect first listen.
Jugemu
寿限無・じゅげむ
A new father wants only the luckiest name for his baby son, so he asks the temple priest for suggestions. Unable to choo…
Toki Soba (Timing the Noodle Bill)
時そば・ときそば
A clever man eats a bowl of soba at a street stall and, while counting out his coins one by one, slips in a question abo…
Meguro no Sanma (The Sanma of Meguro)
目黒のさんま・めぐろのさんま
A pampered feudal lord, out on a country outing in Meguro, tastes a freshly grilled sanma from a farmer's kitchen and fi…
Manju Kowai (Scared of Sweet Buns)
まんじゅうこわい・まんじゅうこわい
A group of young men pass the time boasting about what frightens them, from snakes to spiders. One fellow confesses that…
✨ Curious about rakugo from anime & manga?
Shows like Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū sparked a global interest in rakugo. Start with what it is, where to see it in English, and the words you'll hear at a show.
