Kagurazaka: The Town Where Cultural Figures Reside
Kagurazaka: The Town Where Cultural Figures Reside The Presence of Many ‘Yose’ Made it Home for Famous Rakugo Storytellers From the Edo period (1603-1868), Kagurazaka was home to ‘Yose,’ traditional performance venues like ‘Waradana-tei’ and ‘Warashin,’ where genres such as Dodoitsu and Gidayu were performed. During the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho eras (1912-1926), ‘Yose’ like “Ushigome-tei” and “Ryusuitei” began to appear, attracting many people from all over Tokyo. These cultural hubs made Kagurazaka a gathering place for literary giants and celebrities. The presence of many ‘Yose’ made it home for famous Rakugo storytellers like the sixth-generation Sanyutei Ensho, the first-generation Yanagiya Kingoro, and the third-generation Kokontei Shincho. Kagurazaka: The Birthplace of Modern Japanese Literature In the literary world, authors like Ozaki Koyo and Natsume Soseki lived around Kagurazaka, making it the birthplace of modern Japanese literature. In particular, the arrival of Ozaki Koyo in Kagurazaka led to many writers gathering in the area. Additionally, Natsume Soseki’s villa was a meeting place for figures such as Terada Torahiko, Watsuji Tetsuro, and Uchida Hyakken. Akira Kurosawa Frequently Visited the Cinemas in Kagurazaka In the theater world, Tsubouchi Shoyo and Shimamura Hogetsu established the Literary Arts Association at “Seifu-so” within