Japanese Comedy

Soseki Natsume's comic masterpiece, I Am a Cat, satirizes the foolishness of upper-middle class Japanese society during the Meiji era. With acerbic wit and sardonic perspective, it follows the whimsical adventures of a world-weary stray kitten who comments on the follies and foibles of the people around him. A classic of Japanese literature, I Am a Cat is one of Soseki's best-known novels. Considered by many as the greatest writer in modern Japanese history, Soseki's I Am a Cat is a classic novel sure to be enjoyed for years to come.

A witch violinist, Romance bubbling in the cauldron, the return of a ghost and fairy… Throw in an overprotective daddy and freaky mobsters getting in the way. FREE on Kindle Unlimited! I’m Sophie Rowling. Violinist, witch, and wholehearted believer in Magic and Happily Ever After. A terminal case of musician’s block and lost magic used to be my biggest problems. Dante Walker. Tall, cocky, and mysterious Mr. Wrong… who turns out to be the magical cure for my musician’s block. After rescuing me from murderous kidnappers, he ends up spending the night with me, in the same bed, and…...

After botching a suicide attempt, salaryman Hanio Yamada decides to put his life up for sale in the classifieds section of a Tokyo newspaper. Soon interested parties come calling with increasingly bizarre requests and what follows is a madcap comedy of errors, involving a jealous husband, a drug-addled heiress, poisoned carrots - even a vampire. For someone who just wants to die, Hanio can't seem to catch a break, as he finds himself enmeshed in a continent-wide conspiracy that puts him in the crosshairs of both his own government and a powerful organized-crime syndicate.

This freewheeling black comedy features a bizarre cast of characters, including a Japanese man with a ball floating six inches in front of his head, an American CEO with three arms, and a Brazilian peasant who discovers the art of healing by tickling one’s earlobe with a feather. By the end of this hilarious tale, they each have risen to the heights of wealth and fame, before arriving at disasters—both personal and ecological— that destroy the rain forest and all birds of Brazil.

Tiller is an average American college student with a good heart but minimal aspirations. Pong Lou is a larger-than-life, wildly creative Chinese American entrepreneur who sees something intriguing in Tiller beyond his bored exterior and takes him under his wing. When Pong brings him along on a boisterous trip across Asia, Tiller is catapulted from ordinary young man to talented protégé, and pulled into a series of ever more extreme and eye-opening experiences that transform his view of the world, of Pong, and of himself.

In this gloriously over-the-top tale, Aoyama, a widower who has lived alone with his son ever since his wife died seven years before, finally decides it is time to remarry. Since Aoyama is a bit rusty when it comes to dating, a filmmaker friend proposes that, in order to attract the perfect wife, they do a casting call for a movie they don't intend to produce. As the resumes pile up, only one of the applicants catches Aoyama's attention - Yamasaki Asami - a striking young former ballerina with a mysterious past. But she is a far cry from the innocent young woman he imagines her to be.

Bridget Jones meets James Bond! What happens when you stumble in the arms of a gorgeous man with DANGER! written all over? Especially, when you're stuck in your worst magical eclipse? FREE on Kindle Unlimited! I’m Sophie Rowling. I used to be a world-renowned violinist, until my world was turned upside down. Following a freak accident in Paris, I can’t remember how to play the violin anymore. To make matters worse, I’m supposed to perform for my childhood teacher’s retirement party, which is just weeks away. Usually I would turn to my BFFs, Jackie the ghost and Allegra the violin ...

She’s searching for Mr. Perfect. God keeps sending Mr. Unexpected. Lex Sakai is completely unfazed by her family’s dreaded title, Oldest Single Female Cousin. As a competitive volleyball coach and athlete, she has bigger priorities. So when her iron-willed grandmother threatens to cut funding for Lex’s team unless Lex brings a date to her cousin’s wedding, Lex does what any competitor would do—she creates a game plan. Convinced God has the perfect man out there, Lex builds a prayerful, Ephesians-inspired checklist to guide her search. She’s determined to trust God—and her list...

Dee, Misa, and Matt were the "three musketeers" of the psych ward. A year after discharge, Dee is eager to convince everyone that she’s finally turning things around. But Matt and Misa are tying the knot in Turks and Caicos, surrounded by guests who have no idea where they met, and the secrecy isn’t sitting well with Dee, who has been hopelessly in love with Matt since before she got kicked out of the hospital. So, when Dee arrives at the swanky resort with her high-voltage sister, Tilley, it’s now or never to confess how she feels.

I love romantic comedies nearly all have Meet-Cute situations, among my favorites are Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and It Happened One Night. I’m sure you have your favorites. Well, you are in for a treat. This novel is full of meet-cutes. Sierra is a Ph.D. candidate and TA in Sociology and is obsessed with the Meet-Cute in real life. She wants to explore examples and see if they jive with Hollywood’s version for her dissertation. Her handsome professor and mentor stands in the way. He thinks the subject isn’t real, doesn’t do justice to her genius, and diminishes her ...

好評発売中!圓楽全盛期の熱演が聴ける落語好き必聴の名演集、CD「至芸五代目三遊亭圓楽特選落語名演集」(発行:NHKサービスセンター)から、圓楽節が冴え渡る人情噺の名作を厳選!平成元年5月NHK「お笑い指定席」の放送音源。

For Westerners, the two words most associated with Japan are probably “strange” and “exotic.” Turns out, you can’t marry the exotic, without accepting the strange, as well. That might have been a good thing for William to know, in advance. Throw in a couple of kids and a Canadian family filled with quirky characters, and you have the makings of epic tragedy or gut-busting comedy, depending upon your point of view. I Married Japan provides a good-natured glimpse into one Canadian-Japanese family and marriage. Get ready to learn as you laugh your way through this collection of Japan...

This audiobook is for those who want an easy-to-follow guide that will make learning the Japanese language both fun and simple. This audiobook is specifically created for travelers, students, and businesspeople who visit Japan.

家来ともども野駈けに出た殿様。そこへ、秋風にたなびいてさんまを焼くにおいが漂ってきた。あまりにも良いにおいなので、家来を使いにやって食べてみるととても旨い。それ以来殿様はさんまのことが忘れられなくなってしまう…ご存知「目黒のさんま」を五代目圓楽がクスグリたっぷりに快演。 昭和60年「NHK寄席」からの放送音源。

落語界随一の人気者、桂歌丸がいよいよiTunesに登場！平成6年1月のＮＨＫ「初笑い東西寄席」からの放送音源。正月ならではの寄席の明るい雰囲気と、快調な語り口が心地よい“歌丸落語”を存分に味わえる。舞台は江戸の芝居小屋。若い衆が客の注文した鍋を届けようとするが…　(C)NHK（日本放送協会）

『饅頭怖い』平成11年5月12日　国立演芸場　談志ひとり会『ねずみ穴』平成5年10月20日　イイノホール演目編成協力：川戸貞吉イラスト：山藤章二

親子の情愛を描いた人情噺の名作で、五代目圓楽十八番中の十八番。腰元彫りの名人・浜野矩康の跡を継いだ息子・矩随。しかし、あまりにも未熟な二代目に対する世間の風は冷たく、先代からの客だった若狭屋に「下手なものを作るなら死んだほうがよい」と罵倒され矩随は苦悩する。そんな矩随を見た母親は… 平成2年2月の“東京落語会”(イイノホール)で長講と銘打って50分を超える熱演を聴かせてくれた、五代目圓楽の落語を代表する貴重な一席。

品川の花魁お染が心中の相手に選んだのは、貸本屋の金蔵というさえない男。惚れたお染のためにと張り切った金蔵は長屋を引き払い、親方にも暇乞いを告げてお染の元へと駆けつけるが… 昭和58年に“東京落語会”(イイノホール)で収録され、NHK「夜の指定席」で放送された音源。当時、一門の総帥として乗りに乗っていた絶好調の圓楽節が堪能できる一席。

ご存知の大御所三遊亭圓楽、iTunesに堂々登場！平成10年のＮＨＫ「日本の話芸」からの放送音源。粋な語りと豊かな表現で聴かせる、圓楽ならではの話芸をたっぷり楽しめる。「死神」は、元はイタリアのオペラが素材となった古典落語。　(C)NHK（日本放送協会）

ご存知の大御所三遊亭圓楽、iTunesに堂々登場！昭和61年のＮＨＫ「演芸指定席」からの放送音源。粋な語りと豊かな表現で聴かせる、圓楽ならではの話芸をたっぷり楽しめる。得意の人情噺をじっくり聴かせてくれる熱演！　(C)NHK（日本放送協会）