Archives of the 3rd Preliminary Round of the 'Public Promotion Association Cup National Young Rakugo Performer Championship' Now Streaming on Pia Rakugo Zanmai!

Archives Now Streaming on Pia Rakugo Zanmai

Pia Corporation’s video streaming service, 'Pia Rakugo Zanmai,' which offers unlimited monthly access to Rakugo performance videos, has begun streaming the archive of the 3rd preliminary round of the 'Public Promotion Association Cup National Young Rakugo Performer Championship' starting today, Thursday, May 21. The streaming period is limited to one year.

The 'Public Promotion Association Cup National Young Rakugo Performer Championship' is a competition for young talents destined to lead the future of the Rakugo world. It is open to Rakugo performers with 15 years or less of experience. 15 participants, selected based on recommendations from theaters and organizers nationwide, compete in three preliminary rounds of five people each. Winners of each round, decided by audience and judge votes, advance to the final round. A new revival round has been introduced, where the second-place winners from each preliminary round compete for the final spot in the finals.

The 3rd preliminary round was held at the Curian Small Hall on April 28, featuring performances by Shumputei Asae, Sanyutei Gunma, Kokontei Hinagiku, Suzumeshya Mima, and Katsura Genta. Sanyutei Gunma won the spot in the finals, while runner-up Shumputei Asae advanced to the revival round.

The revival round and the final round are scheduled to take place at the Nakano ZERO Small Hall on Friday, May 22. In addition to the already qualified Shofukutei Chako, Yanagiya Kofune, and Sanyutei Gunma, the winners will compete in the final round with one winner from the revival round, totaling four participants.

About Pia Rakugo Zanmai

'Pia Rakugo Zanmai' is a service where you can enjoy Rakugo performances on your smartphone or PC for a flat monthly fee. The service hosts over 3,000 contents, featuring over 200 performers ranging from living national treasures to popular young Rakugo performers, as well as Koudanshi (storytellers) and Roukyokushi. The service focuses on gem-like recordings from Shinjuku Suehiro-tei and adds new content continuously. A campaign is currently underway offering the first month free for new members.