Rakugo storyteller Hayashiya Kikuo has appeared regularly on Nippon TV's Sunday evening comedy show "Shoten" for half a century.
In the show's "Ogiri" segment where regular rakugoka members respond to questions from the host rakugoka, the 82-year-old comedian, clad in his signature yellow kimono, is known for his harebrained ripostes that have made him a household name nationwide.
Kikuo's onscreen behavior is exactly like that of a character who appears in various classical rakugo programs: Yotaro. Kikuo essentially plays the role of the hapless character on the show.
I spoke with the indefatigable comic ahead of events to commemorate his 60th year as a rakugo storyteller.
Although Kikuo was born into a family of wholesalers based in Tokyo's Nihonbashi district, his father was absent through much of his youth as his parents divorced when he was very young.
Kikuo joined a company after graduating from high school, having worked as a newspaper delivery boy and sold food to support his family when he was growing up. He later decided to apprentice under cartoonist Kon Shimizu, after an acquaintance who recognized his talent for drawing urged him to take the plunge.
Shimizu noticed Kikuo's skill as an entertainer during his time working under the cartoonist and encouraged him to pursue a career in rakugo.
In 1960, he became a disciple of Katsura Mikisuke III, an acclaimed rakugo storyteller and acquaintance of Shimizu. Even after entering the world of rakugo, Kikuo launched a ramen business while also working as a cartoonist.
He said he thinks it's OK for him to do other business, apart from rakugo, as long as it makes a profit.
"My favorite expression is 'receiving money,'" Kikuo said. "I tell my 11 disciples, 'Don't talk about career experiences, your rival is your last month's income.'"
Kikuo can be found in the lobby of theaters ahead of performances selling his noodles among other products. "Isn't it a waste of time to stay in the dressing room? Because I have pictures taken together [with fans], I get the most applause on the stage," he said.
In May, he is scheduled to give performances celebrating the 60th anniversary of his career at the Meijiza theater in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, close to where he spent his childhood.
He said he plans to perform in his own style impersonating such luminaries as his second rakugo master Hayashiya Shozo VIII as well as period drama stars Kataoka Chiezo and Ichikawa Utaemon.
"I can do classical rakugo as well, but that's not what I should offer to audiences who want to see my performances," he said.
According to the comic, there will also be limited-edition products on sale at the theater. He said he likes "receiving money" not just "earning money" as a reward for serving and entertaining audiences.
"As long as a project is successful, nothing else matters. It's best to do things others aren't doing," he said. Speaking to Kikuo, the entrepreneur was an altogether different experience to watching the character that appears on TV screens every Sunday evening.
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