Traditional Japanese performing arts: from left, Rakugo by Ethan Jennings (aka Kanariya Eisho), Shamisen by Mariko Watabe (Yamato Kyosho), and percussion by Travis Suzaka (Yamato Kyoto) at Japan Village, Brooklyn, New York on Feb. 16, 2025. (Photo Courtesy of Fuji Japanese Music)
On Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025, at Japan Village in Brooklyn, New York, Mariko Watabe (performing name: Yamato Kyosho) of California-based Fuji Japanese Music joined forces with New York-based performer Travis Suzaka (Yamato Kyoto) to present musical interludes for a rakugo storytelling performance.
American rakugo storyteller Ethan Jennings, known by his stage name Kanariya Eisho, held the audience captive. Following the resonant drums at 1 p.m. on Sunday and the delicate notes of the shamisen, Jennings delivered his stories in English, bringing the centuries-old Japanese art of comic storytelling to a new audience.
Between his second and third tales, Watabe showcased her virtuosity on the shamisen while singing traditional pieces, accompanied by Suzaka's rhythmic percussion. Their repertoire included the Yamato-gaku pieces "Musume Mikoshi" and "Kitsune," culminating in a rendition of "Ue wo Muite Aruko," better known internationally as the "Sukiyaki Song."
The previous day's snow had given way to heavy rain, yet shoppers on the second floor of Japan Village found themselves drawn to the performance space.
The fusion of English rakugo with traditional Japanese musical accompaniment created a unique cultural bridge, as the sounds of shamisen and drums echoed through the halls of this Brooklyn marketplace, breathing fresh life into Japan's venerable performing arts tradition.
