Hayashiya Sanpei II (2代目 林家 三平, Nidaime Hayashiya Sanpei; real name Taisuke Ebina (海老名 泰助, Ebina Taisuke), born 11…
Hayashiya Sanpei II (2代目 林家 三平, Nidaime Hayashiya Sanpei; real name Taisuke Ebina (海老名 泰助, Ebina Taisuke), born 11 December 1970, in Negishi, Taitō, Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese rakugo comedian and tarento. His debayashi is "Matsuri-bayashi". He is sometimes called Nidai Hayashiya Sanpei (二代 林家 三平). He was known as Hayashiya Ippei (林家 いっ平). Hayashiya was the star performer of Rakugo Kyodai. He was once represented with Horipro. Hayashiya is now represented with Negishi Sanpeido. He is not only good in English, he can also speak Chinese. From May 2016 Hayashiya became a member of "Ōgiri" of Shōten. He is left-handed.
Famous Japanese People: Rakugo Performer
Rakugo Performer: 15 people
Katsura Sunshine (桂 三輝, Katsura Sanshain; born Gregory Robic, 6 April 1970) is a Canadian rakugo comic storyteller…
Katsura Sunshine (桂 三輝, Katsura Sanshain; born Gregory Robic, 6 April 1970) is a Canadian rakugo comic storyteller, theatre producer, and playwright. Katsura Sunshine received his professional debut in Singapore on April 26, 2009, and completed his three-year rakugo apprenticeship in November 2011. Sunshine has also performed in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Slovenia, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Gabon, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Australia, as well as throughout Japan. He currently resides in New York City. In July 2012, he opened his own rakugo theatre in his home in Ise, called the Ise Kawasaki Kikitei, where for two years he regularly performed rakugo stories.
Hōsei Tsukitei (月亭 方正, Tsukitei Hōsei; born 15 February 1968) formerly known as Hōsei Yamasaki (山崎 邦正, Yamasaki Hōsei)…
Hōsei Tsukitei (月亭 方正, Tsukitei Hōsei; born 15 February 1968) formerly known as Hōsei Yamasaki (山崎 邦正, Yamasaki Hōsei) is a Japanese solo comedian and rakugo performer, signed with Yoshimoto Kogyo. He is best known for being one of the five members (and the only solo comedian) of Downtown Gaki no Tsukai's regular cast. His role on the show is usually divided up between the suberi-kyara and the ijime-kyara. Outside of Gaki no Tsukai, he has released three books, a CD single of his signature "Yamazaki Ichi-ban!" song, and has appeared in several Yoshimoto Kogyo compilations and DVD releases.
Hikaru Ijūin (伊集院光, Ijūin Hikaru), real name Ken Shinooka (篠岡 建), formerly Ken Tanaka (田中 建), born 7 November 1967, is…
Hikaru Ijūin (伊集院光, Ijūin Hikaru), real name Ken Shinooka (篠岡 建), formerly Ken Tanaka (田中 建), born 7 November 1967, is a Japanese comedian, radio personality, computer game reviewer, and commentator. He was born in Kita, Tokyo. He is married to former idol Mika Shinooka.
Hayashiya Shōzō IX (九代目 林家 正蔵, Kudaime Hayashiya Shōzō; born Yasutaka Ebina (海老名 泰孝, Ebina Yasutaka), December 1, 1962…
Hayashiya Shōzō IX (九代目 林家 正蔵, Kudaime Hayashiya Shōzō; born Yasutaka Ebina (海老名 泰孝, Ebina Yasutaka), December 1, 1962 in Negishi, Taito, Tokyo, Japan), formerly known as Hayashiya Kobuhei (林家 こぶ平, Hayashiya Kobuhei), is a Japanese rakugoka, tarento and voice actor. He is an associate professor of humanities at Josai International University. He is the son of Hayashiya Sanpei I.
Shinosuke Tatekawa (立川 志の輔, Tatekawa Shinosuke; born 15 February 1954, from Shinminato, Toyama (now part of Imizu)) is…
Shinosuke Tatekawa (立川 志の輔, Tatekawa Shinosuke; born 15 February 1954, from Shinminato, Toyama (now part of Imizu)) is a rakugo performer. His real name is Teruo Takeuchi (竹内 照雄, Takeuchi Teruo). With his comic group, Rokunin-no-Kai (Group of Six), formed in 2003, he has helped to popularise rakugo among young Japanese people. He is also well known as a TV presenter, and has presented the primetime NHK General show Tameshite Gatten (ためしてガッテン) since it started in 1995. Tatekawa received the grand prize Sponichi Art & Culture Award in 2008 for "Shinosuke Rakugo in Parco".
Katsura Shinnosuke (桂 伸乃介; 16 May 1952 – 1 January 2020) was a Japanese rakugoka and musician who performed the works…
Katsura Shinnosuke (桂 伸乃介; 16 May 1952 – 1 January 2020) was a Japanese rakugoka and musician who performed the works of Katsura Bunji X and performed in the jazz band Newoirans.
Shofukutei Tsurube II (笑福亭 鶴瓶 (2代目), Shōfukutei Tsurube (Nidaime)), born Manabu Suruga (駿河 学, Suruga Manabu), is a…
Shofukutei Tsurube II (笑福亭 鶴瓶 (2代目), Shōfukutei Tsurube (Nidaime)), born Manabu Suruga (駿河 学, Suruga Manabu), is a Japanese rakugo comedian and actor.
Katsura Shijaku II (2代目 桂 枝雀, Nidaime Katsura Shijaku; August 13, 1939 – April 19, 1999) was a Japanese rakugo…
Katsura Shijaku II (2代目 桂 枝雀, Nidaime Katsura Shijaku; August 13, 1939 – April 19, 1999) was a Japanese rakugo performer of the late 20th century, who often performed in English. He was born Tōru Maeda (前田 達, Maeda Tōru) in Kobe, the son of a brick-maker. In 1960, he entered the tutelage of the rakugo performer Katsura Beichō III (桂米朝), and upon completion of his study, was given the stage name Katsura Koyone X (桂小米). He changed his stage name to Shijaku Katsura (Shijaku Katsura II) in 1974. Katsura studied English in the early 1980s, and gave his first English-language rakugo performance in 1983. For the rest of his career, he often performed rakugo in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere, making an otherwise inaccessible form of comedy accessible for non-Japanese speakers. He also assisted in launching the career of Bill Crowley, the non-Japanese professional rakugo performer. Katsura died of heart failure on April 19, 1999, after a suicide attempt at his home in Suita, Osaka. He was discovered by his wife Eyo and his brother, the magician Takeshi Maeda.
Kikuō Hayashiya (Japanese: 林家 木久扇, Hepburn: Hayashiya Kikuō; born October 19, 1937) is a Japanese rakugo performer and…
Kikuō Hayashiya (Japanese: 林家 木久扇, Hepburn: Hayashiya Kikuō; born October 19, 1937) is a Japanese rakugo performer and a featured member of the long-running television comedy show Shōten. His real name is Hiroshi Toyota (豊田 洋, Toyota Hiroshi), although he is most widely known by his previous comedian name Kikuzō Hayashiya (林家 木久蔵), a name he was the first to assume. The new Kikuzō Hayashiya is his son, the former Kikuo Hayashiya (林家 きくお, Hayashiya Kikuo). On Shōten he always wears a yellow kimono. He is known for making commonplace jokes and usually "plays the fool".
Katsura Utamaru (桂 歌丸; 14 August 1936 – 2 July 2018) was a Japanese rakugo comedian best known for hosting the Shōten…
Katsura Utamaru (桂 歌丸; 14 August 1936 – 2 July 2018) was a Japanese rakugo comedian best known for hosting the Shōten comedy show on Nippon TV. He is known as a master of the Japanese comic art of rakugo, in which a single performer or storyteller appears on stage and tells comedic stories to the audience.
Danshi Tatekawa (立川 談志; 2 December 1935 – 21 November 2011) was a popular Japanese rakugo entertainer from Koishikawa…
Danshi Tatekawa (立川 談志; 2 December 1935 – 21 November 2011) was a popular Japanese rakugo entertainer from Koishikawa, Tokyo. Born Katsuyoshi Matsuoka (松岡 克由), he was a disciple of Kosan Yanagiya. Katsuyoshi would adopt the name of the famed Meiji era rakugoka Danshi Tatekawa (ja) in 1963 upon his recognition in rakugo as "shin'uchi", or a rakugo master (ja). Tatekawa was the presenter of the long running NTV variety show Shōten when it first aired in 1966, and host of the popular radio program "Danshi Tatekawa Kayo Battle" (談志・円鏡 歌謡合戦) with Tsukinoya Enkyō from 1969 through 1973. He would go on to host many other radio and television programs during his long career, and write more than a dozen books on Rakugo theory. In 1971, Tatekawa ran for one of the 50 at-large upper house seats in the Japanese Diet, coming in at 50th place and serving for one term. In typical rakugoka fashion, his response to coming in last was "the best is always the last to go up". Failing to win a second term, Tatekawa returned to entertainment, withdrawing from his mentor Yanagiya's Rakugo Kyokai association and establishing his own school, the Tatekawa-Ryū, mentoring a number of successful rakugo, including Tatekawa Shinosuke. A fan of Osamu Tezuka, Tatekawa developed a friendship with the prolific animator and had guest star roles in A Thousand and One Nights and Jungle Emperor Leo, and wrote an introduction to Black Jack. Tatekawa would die at 75 of laryngeal cancer at his home in Tokyo on 21 November 2011. According to Gendai Business columnist Kenichiro Horii, the character Issho Arakawa in the 2022 rakugo manga series Akane-banashi is modeled after Tatekawa Danshi.
6th Sanyutei Enraku (6代目 三遊亭 円楽, Rokudaime San'yūtei Enraku; February 8, 1950 – September 30, 2022) was a Japanese…
6th Sanyutei Enraku (6代目 三遊亭 円楽, Rokudaime San'yūtei Enraku; February 8, 1950 – September 30, 2022) was a Japanese rakugo comedian known for performing on the Shōten comedy show on Nippon TV. Born Yasumichi Ai (會 泰通, Ai Yasumichi), he used Enraku as his stage name. He was known as a master of the Japanese comic art of rakugo, in which a single performer or storyteller appears on stage and tells comedic stories to the audience. While a student at Aoyama Gakuin University, he began studying rakugo under San'yūtei Enraku V. His first stage name was San'yūtei Rakutarō (三遊亭 楽太郎, San'yūtei Rakutarō), until he inherited his teacher's name in March 2010. Enraku was a producer of the Hakata Tenjin Rakugo Matsuri, a rakugo festival held in Fukuoka city from 2007. On January 25, 2022, Enraku's agency announced that he suffered from a cerebral infarction, further complicated by his ongoing treatment for lung cancer. After his hospitalization, rakugo artists who had a close relationship with Enraku served as guests on Shōten. He died on September 30, 2022, at the age of 72.
Shunpūtei Shōta (春風亭 昇太; born December 9, 1959) is a Japanese rakugo comedian best known for performing on the Shōten…
Shunpūtei Shōta (春風亭 昇太; born December 9, 1959) is a Japanese rakugo comedian best known for performing on the Shōten comedy show on Nippon TV. He is known as a master of the Japanese comic art of rakugo, in which a single performer or storyteller appears on stage and tells comedic stories to the audience.
Tachibanaya Takezō II (2代目 橘家 竹蔵, Nidaime Tachibanaya Takezō; born Tokio Kōketsu (纐纈 勅男, Kōketsu Tokio), born October…
Tachibanaya Takezō II (2代目 橘家 竹蔵, Nidaime Tachibanaya Takezō; born Tokio Kōketsu (纐纈 勅男, Kōketsu Tokio), born October 22, 1947, in Iida, Nagano, Japan) is a rakugo artist. He currently resides in Tokyo.