The Narrative Worlds of Contemporary Naniwa-bushi (rōkyoku)

This paper presents a classification of the narrative genres within the contemporary naniwa-bushi repertoire, based on data collected showing the extraordinarily large number of pieces actually performed at the Mokubatei theatre in Tokyo between 2011 and 2014, and the Isshinji Monzen Rōkyoku Yose in Osaka between 2013 and 2016. It will demonstrate that the earliest genres of kōdan-derived pieces are still important, but that there is ongoing diversification of repertoire with the emergence of new younger performers. Based on the evidence of this data, the paper will argue against the commonly held view that naniwa-bushi is a dying art, and that on the contrary it is very much alive and still evolving.