I want to be a lightweight spokesperson rather than a customer being defensive.
PROFILE
Born in 1988 as the second son of Yanagitei Moraku V, he began his training at the age of 16 under Heiji Katsura II, and first appeared on the stage as Chitaro Katsura. In 2008, he became a student of Yanagitei Rakusuke, and in 2009, he was promoted to the second highest rank. In 2009, he was promoted to the second rank and became "Yanagitei Kochiraku III. Last September, he was promoted to Shinuchi, and this year marks the 15th anniversary of his debut.
Kochira: It seems that you started rakugo not because of your father, Yanagitei Moraku, but because you listened to a rakugo CD.
Kochiraku:I pressed the play button on the deck at home, and it happened to be a rakugo performance by Harufutei Yanagishi, the 8th generation rakugo master. I thought, "Oh, my father's rakugo again," but when I listened to it, I was hooked instantly. I thought, "This is interesting, I'm going to do it too.
That was when you were in high school, wasn't it? Just as many of the boys at that time were influenced by rock bands, you were influenced by rakugo.
Kochiraku:Yes, it was a shock. I had always enjoyed making people laugh, but I had no interest in rakugo. But I was not at all interested in rakugo. Scenes came to my eyes easily and I laughed. Perhaps if the encounter had been with a heavier, more formal form of rakugo, I might have gone beyond indifference and come to dislike it.
You thought you could do it, too?
Kochiraku:That's not true. It's not about what I can or can't do, it's more like, "I've already decided on this!" I've already made up my mind. I have a personality that decides things intuitively (laughs).
But I think it's amazing that you can make it all the way up to shin-dachi.
Kochiraku:As the years went by, I grew to love rakugo more and more. My father passed away right after I asked to join the school, and I was picked up by Master Bunji Katsura, who always told me, "You don't like rakugo. But in my mind, I love it to the hilt. He was just too big for me, but I was at my limit.
But the more I watched various Rakugo performances, the more I came to know the charm and depth of Rakugo that I did not know. I still didn't trust rakugo, so I felt I had to trust it more, and I began to like it more and more.
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That is the charm of rakugo.
Kochiraku:Yes, it is. It may be similar to a boxer's punch-drunker. There are times when I perform rakugo without thinking, and I synchronize with the audience while performing. I want this much laughter, and it comes back to me. Next time, I want to make them laugh like "Don," and that's the response! That's the reaction! That is the best feeling. I really feel like I'm in a state of heaven. I can't stop thinking that if I go up on the stage, I might be able to have that kind of pleasure again today (laughs).
I don't mean to change the subject, but are you particular about the kimono you wear at the koza?
Kochiraku:I like austere kimonos. My father was a kimono enthusiast, and we had so many different kinds of kimonos that he had to have them all. I wanted to be able to fold kimonos as quickly as possible when I was a member of the front of the troupe, so I took out all the kimonos we had at home and folded them every day. I took out all the kimonos I had at home and folded them every day. I learned that Oshima silk wrinkles in this way. As I touched various fabrics, I also came to like them.
Do you often shop for your own clothes?
Kochiraku:When I buy something, I buy it all at once, maybe once or twice a season. I have liked fashion since I was a student. I used to wear backwoods brands and go to school on a skateboard to look cool. I used to wear Lacoste in the summer. All of my classmates were wearing it, and I would send them off saying, "I'm going to wear that tomorrow," so that they wouldn't wear the same color as me.
How many did you have?
Kochiraku:I used to wear light blue. I also wore dark green, light green, and navy. I once received a red one as a gift from a friend. That one had a silver alligator on the chest. So I remember asking, "Is this a fake?" I remember asking her if it was a fake (laughs). I thought my first new one was a fake (laughs). Today, I chose navy. It brings back memories. I remember when I used to wear it.
What kind of a performer would you like to be?
Kochiraku:I want to be a lightweight sped-up performer. I want to be as light as Kanehara-tei Umau and Kokontei Shinsyu. I don't want to be a great storyteller who makes the audience stand up straight, as if I were nervous. I think it is a great pleasure to pay to see rakugo, and I want to be the kind of performer that makes the audience wonder what he is going to do today, rather than make them feel self-conscious.
Lastly, what do you want to do in the future and what are your goals?
Kochiraku:I would like to work in fields other than Rakugo. I have received an offer to work on a TV drama before, though it didn't come true due to scheduling conflicts. I also occasionally appear in variety shows, which I enjoy. So I would like to make my presence felt in that field as well. It would be nice to do rakugo alone, but I also want to mix with the comedy crowd. Both are the same kind of comedians, and that way I can broaden my horizons. I want to keep creating new types of comedy.
