Hello, I’m Miyanouchi from Relative.
Thank you so much for always taking the time to read my blog.
I’m a big fan of Rakugo.
During my daily train commute, I love popping in my earbuds to listen to rakugo performances.
I’ve even organized small rakugo gatherings in the style of casual recital events, where fellow enthusiasts share their everyday practice sessions.
*Rakugo is a traditional form of Japanese storytelling performed by a single seated performer, using voice, gestures, and minimal props to portray multiple characters and scenes.
As the year draws to a close once again, a classic rakugo tale always calls to me.
It’s called “Shibahama.”
This story centers on Uokuma (or Kuma), a fishmonger famous around town for his fresh, top-quality fish—folks say once you taste his catch, no other shop compares.
But Kuma has a weakness: he’s crazy about sake. He loves booze more than his three square meals a day.
A Wife’s Clever Twist Blurs Dream and Reality
Fishmongers rise before dawn. Kuma heads to the Shibahama fish market early, buys his stock, hawks it door-to-door, then ducks into a diner for lunch around noon.
A teetotaler would eat right away, but not our drinker.
He starts with “just one cup” before the meal. That turns into two, three, and more as the fun builds.
His fish sits outside in the sun, losing its shine and freshness—stuff sober Kuma would never sell. But with liquor flowing, people change.
He peddles the subpar catch, word spreads, customers vanish, and soon Kuma skips work altogether.
The story’s real magic lies in “Okusan,” his wise wife.
It unfolds on New Year’s Eve.
Kuma finds a fat wallet stuffed with 50 ryō—huge money back then—at the market, kicking off a wild flip between dream and reality.
The fun isn’t the cash itself, but how it sparks change in a person—and how they rebuild their life afterward, portrayed with delicate attention to every step.
Why We Fall for Easy Money
Kuma’s first thought goes like this:
“Since the gods went to the trouble of giving me this money, I might as well just enjoy life and take it easy.”
People really are vulnerable when easy money falls into their laps, aren’t they?
So Kuma gathers his buddies and throws a party, drinking the night away as they shout “What good fortune!” – until dawn.
Meanwhile, his wife quietly takes the fifty Ryō he picked up and turns it in to the authorities, then calmly tells Kuma that the whole thing was nothing but a dream.
Kuma’s Turning Point
Upon learning from his wife that it was all just a dream, Kuma is deeply shocked and quits drinking for good, finally facing his work head-on.
His wife understands him perfectly, preparing all his tools and gently urging him out the door—a truly remarkable partner.
A skilled fishmonger by trade, Kuma sees customers return as his shop bustles again, and he throws himself into tireless daily labor.
Three years pass, leading to New Year’s Eve. His wife then reveals the wallet with the 50 Ryō inside and quietly shares her thoughts from that time.
Shibahama by Kokontei Shinnchō
Listening to “Shibahama” by the third-generation Kokontei Shincho is an unforgettable experience. From the very opening, he draws you into the delicate emotional rhythm of the couple’s relationship—a masterclass in storytelling.
Every time I revisit Shibahama, I’m reminded that true recovery and peak performance don’t come from environment or talent.
They begin at the very moment a person commits to change—a moment of personal resolve. Behavioral transformation cannot be sustained by external pressure. It endures only when it’s driven by one’s own decision and sense of self-determination.
Shibahama teaches a universal truth about human development:
When someone truly makes up their mind, they can recover and shine—again and again.
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