A Beginner’s Guide to Rakugo and Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū

This winter sees the return of the beautiful and tragic Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū in its second season following Kikuhiko’s tutelage of Yotaro. While the series itself is a great introduction to the art of rakugo, some fans may have found themselves wanting to delve deeper into its origins and forms. To that end, here’s our primer to the Japanese storytelling art of rakugo.