What was your impression of Japan in comparison to what you expected?

ーYou know. About 20 years ago, the Internet was not advanced as it is today. So maybe if it was today, I would just look up Japan on the Internet and learn about it. But at that time, I had no real visual what Japan was. Except my friends told me, it was fantastic, interesting, good food, people were nice, and that kind of things. But had no real image. When I got here, I just found it, so fascinating, so interesting, so different things from Canada. Particularly, ok, go to a place like Shinzyuku which has more lights than Las Vegas lol. But then, with all the technology, all the lights, all the...so futuristic. But you go down one little, a tiny street. And there is a 3rd generation Kimono shop, and it feels like time has stood still. Traditional Japan and modern Japan have existed. In reality I found it effortlessly. I found very very impressive and that's why made me fall in love with Japan.

A mixture, old and new, in a way. and then you came across Rakugo at the performance restaurant in Yokohama. You fell in love with Rakugo. But falling in love with Rakugo and becoming a Rakugo storyteller are two very different things. What made you decide to become a Rakugo storyteller? 

ーWell, it was really an immediate decision. When I first thought Rakugo, I have been here for five years. So, I can speak and understand some Japanese. Otherwise, I don't think Rakugo is very exciting. You know, Kaguki, there are dancing, beautiful costume and many things, you can enjoy without understanding language. But Rakugo, if you don't understand, it's not so interesting. It's actual. It's comical. It's traditional, everything I had done even before I came to Japan when I was doing at the theater. It was the comic theater. It was the traditional Greel theater. So, Rakugo seemed to contain everything that I have been living for. And interesting in up to that point. So, it was really an immediate decision. Now, this is what I was born to do. 

comparison ｺﾝ パｧ ﾘｿﾝ  n)比較

advanced　ｱﾄﾞ ヴｧﾝｽﾄ   adj)前進した･先進的な･進んだ

as it is today  こんにちほど･こんにちのように

visual  ヴｨｼﾞｭ ｱﾙ  adj)視覚による  n)映像･視覚素材、ビジュアル

effortlessly   エﾌｫｰｧﾄ ﾚｽﾘｨｰ　adv)楽々と＝easy

effort  エﾌ ﾌｫｰｧﾄ  n)努力

endeavor  ｴﾝ デｳﾞｧｰ  n)努力（ﾌｫｰﾏﾙ）

exertion　ｲｸﾞ ザｧｰｼｮﾝ  n)さらに大変な努力

make an effort/endeavor

make exertions

fascinate  フｧ-ｽｨ ﾈｲﾄ  v)魅了する

futuristic  ﾌｭｰﾁｬｰ リｽﾃｨｯｸ　adj)未来を先取りした･超現代的な、未来派の

stand still  とまっている･じっとしている

 

in a way 　ある意味

come across 　ふと見つける･出くわす  

immediate ｲミ-ﾃﾞｨｴｯﾄ n)即座の･すぐの

actual  ア ｸﾁｬﾙ  adj)実在の･現実の

comical  コ ﾐｶﾙ  adj)こっけいな･おかしい、喜劇の

2022 Dec 8