Considering the RIHGA Grand Hotel Osaka in Osaka?
A VT member wrote the following comment about visiting Osaka:
Rakugo by tyusen
Rakugo is Japanese comic storytelling. It?s serious art rather than pop culture. It consists of one comic storyteller. He/she sits down on a center stage and talks comic story alone. Osaka is a center of Rakugo (usually called ?Kamigata Rakugo?). It?s very hard for foreigners to understand it, but if you want to feel traditional Japanese mass culture, it?s worth watching. The most famous Rakugo family is Katsura Beicho family. Beicho is not only the chairman of the family but also a human national treasure of Japan. Some well-known comedians on TV belong to this family; Katsura Nanko, Katsura Zakoba etc? They have New Year?s recital every January at Sankei Hall, Osaka. It is always sold out, so you need to book tickets in advance (Office Beicho: 06-6365-8281). By the way, Beicho family has been making effort to popularize Rakugo. They made some Rakugo stories in English and they are now trying to make Chinese version. Unfortunately, the pioneer of English Rakugo, Katsura Shijaku, killed himself a few years ago. I hope his pupils will follow after him.
