This year’s Koenji Engei Festival, the sixth of its kind, offers ten days of theatrical performances like rakugo (one-man comic storytelling), manzai stand-up comedic double acts and magic shows at diverse locations in the Koenji district such as shrines and public baths, izakayas, bicycle shops and funeral halls. The number of participating artists, venues and visitors has risen with each festival.
The festival includes “Hajimete no yose” (‘my first yose’) theatrical entertainment with easy-to-follow commentary at a public bath; “Niraku Theater in Koenji,” where the audience can get its fill of the star attraction of yose engei Japanese-style vaudeville entertainment, kamikiri paper cutting craft; and “Nagetsunage: Daikagura Kyokugei,” a traditional performing arts show featuring young members of the Daikagura Kyokugeikai group.
But it’s not all indoor or seated Japanese-style vaudeville. Passers-by in the street will also be able to enjoy festivities — for example Koenji’s Etoile Shopping Street will play host to rakugo performances with a choice of meal included from its row of long-established eating houses offering Edo cuisine like tempura, sushi and soba.
In a first for the festival, bilingual rakugo performer Shinoharu Tatekawa will take to the stage in a temple to demonstrate kobanashi comic vignettes in both English and English-subtitled Japanese, alongside a performance by the Kanto region’s only bilingual improv comedy group, Pirates of Tokyo Bay
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【A first during the Koenji Engei Festival! English-language Rakugo and Bilingual Improv Comedy】
For the first time Koenji’s history, two shows aiming at English speaking audiences will accompany the Koenji Engei Festival. Rakugo — the Ultimate One Man Comedy — is very hard to access without knowledge of Japanese but on February 11th, Tatekawa Shinoharu, a bilingual rakugo-artist will show his art in both Japanese with sur-titles as well as English.
On February 13th we present Tatekawa Koharu — Rakugo with Japanese sur-titles along with the Pirates of Tokyo Bay — Tokyo’s only bilingual comedy group!
● February 11, 2016
”Tatekawa Shinoharu Solo Show”
＊ Rakugo — Ultimate One Man Comedy in English/ Japanese with English Sur-Titles
http://peatix.com/event/134651
● February 13, 2016
”Pirates of Tokyo Bay and Tatekawa Koharu”
＊ Tokyo’s only bilingual comedy group and Rakugo — Ultimate One Man Comedy — in Japanese with English Sur-Titles
http://peatix.com/event/136017
Both events start at 14:00. Doors open: 13:30
Ticket：2,000Yen, Students 1,500 Yen (Students must show a valid student ID card at the entrance.)
Venue：Chozenji Temple（2–40–50 Koenji Minami, Suginami-ku, Tokyo）
Tel：03–3311–2922 (only February 11 and 13)
Enquiries: rakugowithoutborders@gmail.com (Japanese/English)
【From Art Council Tokyo page】
https://www.artscouncil-tokyo.jp/en/what-we-do/support/program/10206/
