1.
rakugo storyteller; rakugo performer; professional raconteur
A professional performer of rakugo, a traditional Japanese art of comic storytelling where a single seated performer plays all characters using only a fan and a small cloth as props.
有名な噺家の公演を見に行った。
I went to see a performance by a famous rakugo storyteller.
噺家になるには、師匠に弟子入りしなければならない。
To become a rakugo performer, you must become an apprentice to a master.
その噺家は一人で何役も演じ分けて、客席を大いに沸かせた。
The storyteller played multiple characters by himself and had the audience in stitches.
The character 噺 is a Japanese-coined kanji (国字) meaning "story" or "tale," composed of 口 (mouth) + 新 (new). Combined with 家 (professional, expert), it literally means "story professional."
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 噺家になる: to become a rakugo performer
- 噺家の高座: a storyteller's stage performance
- 若手噺家: young/up-and-coming rakugo performer
- 真打の噺家: a master-level rakugo performer
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
Rakugo performers follow a strict apprenticeship system with ranks: 前座 (opener), 二ツ目 (mid-rank), and 真打 (master). The tradition has roots going back to the Edo period and continues to thrive today.
SIMILAR TERMS:
- 落語家: rakugo performer — synonym using the more common word for the art form
- 話家: storyteller — alternate kanji spelling, less common