Interaction leads us to a new future | Marumarutei Ohagi | TEDxSannomiya

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences.

'Rakugo' is one of Japanese arts of story-telling. After retired from her job, Marumarutei started to learn rakugo in order to keep in touch with society. Through rakugo, while performing short rakugos, she talks about how one interaction leads to another; about the way she keeps her ever-lasting motivation no matter how old she gets.

Let's start with a "rakugo",
a Japanese comic story.

(Customer) "Hey, florist!"

(Florist) "Hey, welcome!"

"Do you have any flowers?"

"Yes, I have any flowers and trees".

"Then would you happen to have
speaking flowers?"

(Florist grumbling) "Speaking flowers?
Oh, he must be kidding me".

(To Customer) "Of course, I do".

"Oh, do you?"

"Yes, I do. All my flowers
and trees can talk.

Ask them their names,
and they'll answer you".

"Is that true?

So...what's your name?"

"I'm a cherry".

"Oh, Waouw ! It did speak.

How about...you?"

"I'm a plum."

"How impressive! How about you?"

"Peony".

"Wow, amazing!

How about you?

Hey, You ! I'm speaking to you.

Hey, florist, this one doesn't speak".

"Ah, the sweet peas say nothing,
remaining in peas-ful silence".

(Applause)

I started my talk with a short "rakugo".

It was the first piece that I learned
when I started learning rakugo.

I was 68 years old.

I started rakugo at the age of 68,

because I was so anxious
about loosing connection with society.

Till then, I had been working.

I could meet people everyday.

But when I reached my retiring age,

my children were already grown up,

and my grandchildren
didn't need much care either.

Then I thought about my future,

being alone at home everyday
with nobody to talk to.

Everyday, would be the same,
in loneliness.

I was scared of what was waiting for me.

I wondered how I could
stay in contact with society.

That was when I was 68.

Then I happened to learn
that there was a rakugo class in Kobe.

As I had loved to watch rakugo
since my younger days,

I just thought I should try it once.

I decided to sign up on the spot.

On my first day in the class,
I saw experienced apprentices

performing in front of our Master
just like they were professionals.

I wondered whether I could get
as good as them.

A year passed and we organised a show.

For the first time in my life,

I went up on a red-carpeted stage,
and performed a freshly learned rakugo.

And I heard the audience laughing.

I was so happy to realise
that my rakugo could make people laugh!

I was moved
by this unforgettable sensation,

that I have been
into rakugo since then on.

Soon classmates started to invite me

to amateur rakugo events
that they were organising.

This means I had to expand my repertoire
and memorise more rakugo stories.

I worked hard to memorise new stories.

Then I myself got invitations
to perform on stage.

Local government bodies,
or elderly people's unions contacted me,

and asked me to perfom rakugo
during their events.

At the venue, the audience was very happy
to listen to my rakugo.

So were the organisers.

And one invitation led to another one.

Such connections with people brought me
something challenging but rewarding

which I had never felt before rakugo,
a sense to my life.

6 years had passed before I knew it.

That year,

I was assigned to be a star performer
and performed 30 minutes-long rakugo.

All my friends who came
to listen to me said,

"That was wonderful! Impressive!"

I was very flattered and honoured.

This time, however,

I was almost 75 years old.

I was struggling to learn
new rakugo stories.

On stage, the following year,

I pondered whether I was going
to be as good as the previous year.

I was not confident I could do it again
and make people laugh.

When I went to the rakugo lessons,

I was afraid that I wouldn't improve
my skills any more.

So I quitted.

Yet, a year later,

on March 2013, in Kobe,

the "Women's Amateur
Rakugo Performers' Contest"

was going to be organized.

I just wanted to try it.

So I registered.

I was selected among the top 7 best
performers among 44 candidates.

It made me so happy
that I boasted around my friends!

One week was left till the final.

There would be only 3 laureates
among the 7 of us.

I had that burning desire
to be one of them.

For 7 days, I trained very hard
to get my performance just right.

Again and again, I prepared myself
to reach the final.

I practiced my rakugo stories
over and over.

The result was,

I was not the third laureate.

I didn't get the second place either.

I almost thought it was all over,
that rakugo was over for me,

when I heard the voice saying,

"The first prize goes
to Marumarutei Ohagi".

I almost fainted,

and I felt chilly up to my finger tips,
when I received the award.

I was the oldest of all the candidates.

So, I guess the judges were being kind
with me, being old and everything.

The result was featured on the papers,

and TV broadcasts covered me.

This lead people who saw me in the news
to invite me to other stages.

Even a TV Station from Tokyo
came to cover me,

and it was aired all over Japan.

And what is more,

I am honoured to have the opportunity
to be on this stage today.

I'm a very ordinary grandma,

and I had never expected a year ago

to have such an extraordinary opportunity.

I can't tell you how happy
and how honoured I am!

Yet in less than ten days,

I'll be 76 years old.

I started rakugo at 68.

These 8 years with rakugo
are totally different

from those in my 30s and 40s.

I have been obviously weaker
both physically and mentally.

Yet I do not think
I will quit my performance anytime soon.

No matter how old I get,

my power and passion
to delight and make laugh my audience,

the power I get when I think
how to make my audience laugh,

are never going to decay.

The power to make people happy
will spontaneously replenish my batteries,

because I enjoy interacting with people.

At first I wanted
to keep in touch with people.

And that is why I started to learn rakugo.

Since then,

I've always enjoyed performing
at old people's unions, and other venues.

I've always enjoyed
attending rakugo class.

I've always enjoyed meeting people.

The networking at old people's unions

polished up my rakugo skills,

and gave me power and confidence.

One interaction lead to another,

generating new opportunities.

The reason I was elected Rakugo Queen

and why I am here on the stage,

is because I met people
who triggered my enthusiasm.

That's for sure.

The important thing is
to take one step forward

to some place where people
gather and interact.

I believe that interacting with people

can generate huge possibilities
that are otherwise unimaginable.

With this belief, I think I will keep
performing forever.

Now, I would like to invite you
to interact with each other.

Let's have fun together.

Here is a short rakugo for you.

The title is "the Hammer".

First I'll read it out loud.
Please, listen to it once.

Hey, go get a hammer
from Scott the neighbour.

I've got to hit this nail.

I went and asked Scott
but he refused to lend me any.

Why not?

Scott asked me "what for?",
and I answered "to hit a nail".

Scott told me it'll damage his hammer,

and he wouldn't let me use it.

He is so cheap!

How much will a nail damage a hammer?

Don't ask such a cheap guy.

Forget about him.

I'll use mine!

(Laughter)

This is how the story goes.

Okay, I would like you to involve you.
I know you've been sitting quietly.

So let's voice it out together.

Let's have fun together.

Let's start with "Hey go get a hammer
from Scott the neighbour".

Let's read it out together.

Okay, one, two three, go.

Hey go get a hammer
from Scott the neighbor.

I've got to hit this nail.

I went and asked Scott
but he refused to lend me any.

Why not?

Scott asked me "what for?",
and I answered "to hit a nail".

Scott told me it'll damage his hammer,

and he wouldn't let me use it.

He is so cheap!

How much will a nail damage a hammer?

Don't ask such a cheap guy.

Forget about him.

I'll use mine!

(Applause) Thank you.

Now, let's see.

Where to start, from here?

Everyone from this line to this side,
please read the line in black font.

Then everyone from this side on,
read the white font in a black background.

So, okay, you all need to be loud enough.

Let's start with "Go get a hammer".

Here we go.

From "Go get a hammer", right?
One, two three, Go.

Hey, go get a hammer
from Scott the neighbour.

I've got to hit this nail.

I went and asked Scott
but he refused to lend me any.

Why not?

Scott asked me "what for?",
and I answered "to hit a nail".

Scott told me it'll damage his hammer,

and he wouldn't let me use it.

He is so cheap!

How much will a nail damage a hammer?

Don't ask such a cheap guy.

Forget about him.

I'll use mine!

Thank you very much.
(Applause)

Well, with this rakugo,
I will conclude my talk.

Thank you for your attention.

(Applause)