was a Japanese

rakugo is a form of Japanese verbal comedy, traditionally performed in '' yose'' theatres. (Bibliographyvolume 38(1)article
T ...

comedian known for performing on the ''

Shōten is a Japanese TV comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Com ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

show on

Nippon TV JOAX-DTV (channel 4), branded as (NTV) or Nippon TV, is a Japanese television station serving the Kantō region as the flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned and operated by the , a sub ...

. Born , he used Enraku as his

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

. He was known as a master of the Japanese comic art of rakugo, in which a single

performer The performing arts are The arts, arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art ob ...

or storyteller appears on

stage Stage, stages, or staging may refer to: Arts and media Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly Brit ...

and tells comedic stories to the audience. While a student at

Aoyama Gakuin University is a private Christian university in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Originally established in 1874 by missionaries from the Methodist Episcopal Church, it was reconfigured in its current form in 1949 as tertiary component of the Aoyama Gakuin. The u ...

, he began studying rakugo under

San'yūtei Enraku V was a Japanese rakugo comedian best known for hosting the '' Shōten'' comedy show on Nippon TV. His comedic career spanned several decades. He was born and at the time used Enraku as his stage name. He was known using the Japanese comedic ...

. His first stage name was , until he inherited his teacher's name in March 2010. Enraku was a producer of the Hakata Tenjin Rakugo Matsuri, a rakugo festival held in

Fukuoka city is the sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. The area has long been considered the ...

from 2007. On January 25, 2022, Enraku's agency announced that he suffered from a

cerebral infarction Cerebral infarction, also known as an ischemic stroke, is the pathologic process that results in an area of necrotic tissue in the brain (cerebral infarct). In mid to high income countries, a stroke is the main reason for disability among peo ...

, further complicated by his ongoing treatment for

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

. After his hospitalization, rakugo artists who had a close relationship with Enraku served as guests on Shōten. He died on September 30, 2022, at the age of 72.落語家の三遊亭円楽さん　肺がんで死去、72歳　1月脳梗塞発症、8月高座復帰果たすも…
Retrieved 30 September 2022.

References

1950 births 2022 deaths Rakugoka Aoyama Gakuin University alumni Comedians from Tokyo People from Sumida {{Japan-bio-stub