Daiku Shirabe (The Carpenter's Hearing)

大工調べ・だいくしらべ

The story

Yotaro, a dim carpenter behind on his rent, has his precious toolbox seized by the landlord. His boss, the master carpenter Seigoro, goes to negotiate its return, but the talk sours and the dispute ends up before the magistrate's court for a formal 'hearing.' The heart of it all is the boss's blistering, rapid-fire tongue-lashing.

What to listen for

The torrent of fluent, unstoppable Edo tough-talk (tanka) is a glory of Tokyo rakugo, delivered like water pouring off a board.

Background

In Edo, a carpenter's tools were his livelihood and pride, so seizing them was a grave insult. 'Tanka o kiru' means to deliver a sharp, eloquent verbal barrage, a prized Edo art of stylish, spirited speech.

Notable performers

古今亭志ん朝柳家小三治

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