Rokyoku: Musical Storytelling (S10E15)
S10E15
Once hailed as "solo opera," Rokyoku was Japan's leading entertainment form, with its top artists enjoying immense wealth. It flourished in the late 19th century, but the rise of television led to a swift downturn. Today, a new generation of performers is breathing fresh life into this traditional storytelling technique by blending it with English lyrics, rock, pop music, and even dance. Peter Barakan explores both classic and contemporary rokyoku performances, while in Plus One, Kyle Card attempts to showcase his own rendition.
Show
Japanology Plus
Episode
S10E15
Air Date
Aug 31, 2023
Season 10 Episodes
S10E01
Kitchens
S10E02
Satsumaimo: Sweet Potatoes
S10E03
Dinosaurs
S10E04
Japanophiles: Kyle Holzhueter
S10E05
Camping
S10E06
Male Aesthetics
S10E07
Konnyaku
S10E08
Japanophiles: Isabelle Sasaki
S10E09
Ueno
S10E10
Meteorological Data
S10E11
Amami Oshima: Paradise Found
S10E12
Amami Oshima: Shaped by Adversity
S10E13
Japanophiles: Francesco Panto
S10E14
Vacant Homes
S10E15
Rokyoku: Musical Storytelling
S10E16
Japanese Honeybees
S10E17
Japanophiles: Martin Holman
S10E18
Unused Fish
S10E19
Garbage
S10E20
Firefighting