Comic storytelling : Rakugo, a vaudeville performance developed in the Edo Period(1603-1867), is performed in entertainment halls caled yose. The rakugo artist sits on stage on a dais, wearing a kimono, and performs his humorous piece solo, with puns and wordplay, usually in the form of a dialogue. The main feature is applying the “punch line” at the end of the piece.

Folding fans and hand towels are used for props. In making these sorts of props come alive, rakugo artists lead the spectators into an imaginative world. Rakugo is a conversational art form in which the refinements that have piled up come from men doing the reciting; it uses the same device as Kabuki with men taking female parts. However, recently female rakugo artists have emerged and are much talked about.