Fallen Words: A Collection of New and Original Rakugo Stories

Fallen words is the literal English translation of the Japanese term rakugo (落語). Before there was film, television, sitcoms, and standup comedy, there was rakugo-entertainment created specifically for common people. What is rakugo? Noriko Watanabe, an assistant professor at Baruch College, once described rakugo as "a sitcom with one person playing all the parts." Rakugo is the popular 400-year-old art of Japanese storytelling. It consists of a repertoire of more than 500 classical stories that have been passed down from master to disciple over the centuries. In addition to the classical rakugo stories, there is a substantial collection of new and original rakugo stories being written and performed by contemporary rakugoka (storytellers) on a continuing basis. As the author/ editor of three rakugo books introducing English-speaking audiences to Japan's delightful storytelling tradition, I thought it would be fun to compile and release a collection of my own original English rakugo stories. I hope these stories will enlighten and entertain you.