落語は日本の話芸の一つです。一人でいろいろな人を演じます。
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Rakugo was originally known as karukuchi.The oldest appearance of the kanji which refers specifically to this type of performance dates back to 1787, but at the time the characters themselves were normally read as otoshibanashi (falling discourse).In the middle of the Meiji period (1868–1912) the expression rakugo first started being used, and it came into common usage only in the Showa period (1926–1989).

Rakugo was invented by Buddhist monks in the 9th and 10th century to make their sermons more interesting and its written tradition can be traced back to the story collection Uji Shui Monogatari (1213–18). Gradually the form turned from humorous narrative into monologue, probably upon the request of the daimyo, feudal lords, seeking people skilled enough to entertain them with various kinds of storytelling. Quote - Wikipedia