SOPHIA MAGAZINE Vol. 174On October 23, 2023, a 26-member delegation, including Minister President Malu Dreyer and representatives from government, industry, academia, media and other sectors from the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate visited Sophia University. Sophia has extensive research and education connections with two partner universities in the German state.Minister President Dryer, University of Trier Professor Andreas Regels-berger, and Sophia University Faculty of Foreign Studies Dean Professor Goro Kimura Christoph joined German studies professors to share perspectives on immigration, energy policy, nursing care, disaster prevention, and other topics. Speeches by 11 Department of German Studies students followed, touching on the job-hunting expe-riences of female students in Japan and employment differences between Japan and Germany. Interna-tional students from Rhineland-Palatinate partner universities also participated. The Minister President then fielded questions from the students. Sophia President Yoshiaki Terumichi concluded the event, mentioning Koblenz born Father Joseph Dahlmann, a key contributor to Sophia‘s founding.On October 24, internationally renowned rakugo storyteller Shinoharu Tatekawa performed at Sophia University’s seventh English-language rakugo event for international students. First held as an online event in the fall semester of 2020, the rakugo events have been held in person since 2022, with every show drawing a large international student turnout.At the most recent Sophia event, Shinoharu performed Tenshiki, the classic story of a monk who gets into trouble pretending to know the word “Tenshiki,” and Kinshu-banya, about a liquor salesman who tries to sneak into a castle where alcohol is banned. “The key to performing rakugo in English is to keep in mind the rhythm and tempo of the Japanese language,” said Shinoharu, who delivered a performance in fluent English that retained qualities of the Japanese language. Students with different cultural and linguistic backgrounds burst into laughter as they listened to the performance. “The joy of rakugo comes from listening to the stories and picturing the scenes in your head,” Shinoharu explained. Indeed, his performance enraptured and stirred the imaginations of the international students.Between stories, Shinoharu explained some aspects of rakugo, giving the example of how Japanese words such as “sumimasen,” “daijobu,” and “yabai” have a number of meanings. Shinoharu’s humorous expla-nation of Japanese language complexities struck a chord with students studying the language and they spontaneously responded in agreement. Near the end of the event, Shinoharu took questions from the audience; he was asked about the recep-tion to his English rakugo performances, his thoughts on comedy in general, and how rakugo has af-fected him personally. One student, whose mother recently started practicing rakugo in English, asked for advice for her. Shinoharu respectfully answered each question and spoke of rakugo’s special charms.The event successfully introduced rakugo to international students, many of whom expressed a desire to experience more of this amusing traditional entertainment form. Malu Dreyer, Minister President of the German State ofRhineland-Palatinate, Visits SophiaRakugo-in-English Event Held
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