Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival Welcomes Rakugo Master

Every year, the Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival gains both popularity and recognition as one of the best events of its kind. Partially due to the spring weather and broad range of entertainment and activities, but also the festival’s commitment to present the culture and history of Japan through the country’s treasured artists sharing their talents. This year the festival is proud to present an artform rarely seen live outside of Japan called Rakugo—solo storytelling which dates to the 13th century.

In Rakugo, the artist is seated before the audience and tells an intricate story through narration and dialogue using only a hand fan and a handkerchief as props. It takes years of training to master the ability to convey multiple characters speaking to each other using only a glance of the eyes, a tip of the head, and subtle hand movements. The stories are typically comedic and poke fun at the aristocracy and the common misunderstandings of life.

This year’s guest artist, Yanagiya Tozaburo began his formal training in 1999, learning from a well-respected master Rakugo performer. Master Yanagiya spent 15 years honing his art to finally reach the master rank of Shin’uchi and be qualified to teach others. Not only does Master Yanagiya excel in the traditional stories of the Shogun’s misunderstandings or the silly man trying to cheat the noodle seller, but also, he is expanding the artform to include more modern and classic themes. In 2010, he created and performed a version of Anton Chekhov’s The Darling commemorating the 150th birthday anniversary of the author.

Master Yanagiya will perform in the Cupertino Room of the Quinlan Center at Cupertino’s Memorial Park on Saturday, April 27 at 4:40 PM. Admission to the festival is free and includes this performance. The festival also includes indoor and outdoor performances throughout the day, cultural arts and crafts, a kid’s play area, koi fish and shiba-inu dogs, and a food court filled with savory and sweet Japanese treats. Festival hours are April 27 and 28, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day. Free parking is available in the De Anza College parking lots A and B across the street from the event. Complete information at www.cupertinocherryblossomfestival.org.