Interaction leads us to a new future | Marumarutei Ohagi | TEDxSannomiya
-
0:32 - 0:35Let's start with a "rakugo",
a Japanese comic story. -
0:35 - 0:36(Customer) "Hey, florist!"
-
0:36 - 0:37(Florist) "Hey, welcome!"
-
0:37 - 0:39"Do you have any flowers?"
-
0:39 - 0:42"Yes, I have any flowers and trees".
-
0:42 - 0:45"Then would you happen to have
speaking flowers?" -
0:45 - 0:49(Florist grumbling) "Speaking flowers?
Oh, he must be kidding me". -
0:49 - 0:50(To Customer) "Of course, I do".
-
0:50 - 0:51"Oh, do you?"
-
0:51 - 0:55"Yes, I do. All my flowers
and trees can talk. -
0:55 - 1:00Ask them their names,
and they'll answer you". -
1:00 - 1:02"Is that true?
-
1:02 - 1:06So...what's your name?"
-
1:06 - 1:08"I'm a cherry".
-
1:08 - 1:13"Oh, Waouw ! It did speak.
-
1:13 - 1:15How about...you?"
-
1:15 - 1:16"I'm a plum."
-
1:16 - 1:19"How impressive! How about you?"
-
1:19 - 1:21"Peony".
-
1:21 - 1:24"Wow, amazing!
-
1:24 - 1:26How about you?
-
1:26 - 1:28Hey, You ! I'm speaking to you.
-
1:28 - 1:30Hey, florist, this one doesn't speak".
-
1:30 - 1:35"Ah, the sweet peas say nothing,
remaining in peas-ful silence". -
1:35 - 1:38(Applause)
-
1:40 - 1:43I started my talk with a short "rakugo".
-
1:43 - 1:49It was the first piece that I learned
when I started learning rakugo. -
1:49 - 1:54I was 68 years old.
-
1:55 - 2:00I started rakugo at the age of 68,
-
2:02 - 2:08because I was so anxious
about loosing connection with society. -
2:09 - 2:13Till then, I had been working.
-
2:13 - 2:18I could meet people everyday.
-
2:19 - 2:21But when I reached my retiring age,
-
2:21 - 2:25my children were already grown up,
-
2:25 - 2:29and my grandchildren
didn't need much care either. -
2:29 - 2:32Then I thought about my future,
-
2:32 - 2:36being alone at home everyday
with nobody to talk to. -
2:36 - 2:39Everyday, would be the same,
in loneliness. -
2:39 - 2:42I was scared of what was waiting for me.
-
2:43 - 2:49I wondered how I could
stay in contact with society. -
2:51 - 2:56That was when I was 68.
-
2:59 - 3:05Then I happened to learn
that there was a rakugo class in Kobe. -
3:05 - 3:10As I had loved to watch rakugo
since my younger days, -
3:10 - 3:13I just thought I should try it once.
-
3:13 - 3:16I decided to sign up on the spot.
-
3:18 - 3:22On my first day in the class,
I saw experienced apprentices -
3:22 - 3:30performing in front of our Master
just like they were professionals. -
3:31 - 3:36I wondered whether I could get
as good as them. -
3:38 - 3:43A year passed and we organised a show.
-
3:44 - 3:48For the first time in my life,
-
3:48 - 3:55I went up on a red-carpeted stage,
and performed a freshly learned rakugo. -
3:56 - 4:01And I heard the audience laughing.
-
4:01 - 4:05I was so happy to realise
that my rakugo could make people laugh! -
4:05 - 4:09I was moved
by this unforgettable sensation, -
4:09 - 4:15that I have been
into rakugo since then on. -
4:16 - 4:19Soon classmates started to invite me
-
4:19 - 4:24to amateur rakugo events
that they were organising. -
4:26 - 4:32This means I had to expand my repertoire
and memorise more rakugo stories. -
4:32 - 4:37I worked hard to memorise new stories.
-
4:37 - 4:42Then I myself got invitations
to perform on stage. -
4:44 - 4:48Local government bodies,
or elderly people's unions contacted me, -
4:48 - 4:51and asked me to perfom rakugo
during their events. -
4:51 - 4:57At the venue, the audience was very happy
to listen to my rakugo. -
5:01 - 5:04So were the organisers.
-
5:04 - 5:08And one invitation led to another one.
-
5:09 - 5:14Such connections with people brought me
something challenging but rewarding -
5:14 - 5:19which I had never felt before rakugo,
a sense to my life. -
5:19 - 5:246 years had passed before I knew it.
-
5:26 - 5:29That year,
-
5:29 - 5:35I was assigned to be a star performer
and performed 30 minutes-long rakugo. -
5:37 - 5:41All my friends who came
to listen to me said, -
5:41 - 5:45"That was wonderful! Impressive!"
-
5:45 - 5:48I was very flattered and honoured.
-
5:48 - 5:51This time, however,
-
5:51 - 5:55I was almost 75 years old.
-
5:56 - 6:01I was struggling to learn
new rakugo stories. -
6:03 - 6:05On stage, the following year,
-
6:05 - 6:11I pondered whether I was going
to be as good as the previous year. -
6:11 - 6:15I was not confident I could do it again
and make people laugh. -
6:15 - 6:17When I went to the rakugo lessons,
-
6:17 - 6:22I was afraid that I wouldn't improve
my skills any more. -
6:24 - 6:27So I quitted.
-
6:29 - 6:32Yet, a year later,
-
6:32 - 6:37on March 2013, in Kobe,
-
6:37 - 6:42the "Women's Amateur
Rakugo Performers' Contest" -
6:42 - 6:44was going to be organized.
-
6:44 - 6:47I just wanted to try it.
-
6:48 - 6:51So I registered.
-
6:53 - 6:59I was selected among the top 7 best
performers among 44 candidates. -
7:00 - 7:05It made me so happy
that I boasted around my friends! -
7:07 - 7:10One week was left till the final.
-
7:11 - 7:16There would be only 3 laureates
among the 7 of us. -
7:17 - 7:20I had that burning desire
to be one of them. -
7:22 - 7:26For 7 days, I trained very hard
to get my performance just right. -
7:26 - 7:30Again and again, I prepared myself
to reach the final. -
7:30 - 7:33I practiced my rakugo stories
over and over. -
7:34 - 7:36The result was,
-
7:37 - 7:39I was not the third laureate.
-
7:40 - 7:43I didn't get the second place either.
-
7:43 - 7:47I almost thought it was all over,
that rakugo was over for me, -
7:47 - 7:49when I heard the voice saying,
-
7:49 - 7:54"The first prize goes
to Marumarutei Ohagi". -
7:55 - 7:58I almost fainted,
-
7:58 - 8:04and I felt chilly up to my finger tips,
when I received the award. -
8:05 - 8:10I was the oldest of all the candidates.
-
8:10 - 8:16So, I guess the judges were being kind
with me, being old and everything. -
8:18 - 8:23The result was featured on the papers,
-
8:23 - 8:27and TV broadcasts covered me.
-
8:27 - 8:34This lead people who saw me in the news
to invite me to other stages. -
8:36 - 8:40Even a TV Station from Tokyo
came to cover me, -
8:40 - 8:43and it was aired all over Japan.
-
8:45 - 8:47And what is more,
-
8:47 - 8:53I am honoured to have the opportunity
to be on this stage today. -
8:54 - 9:00I'm a very ordinary grandma,
-
9:01 - 9:04and I had never expected a year ago
-
9:04 - 9:09to have such an extraordinary opportunity.
-
9:10 - 9:14I can't tell you how happy
and how honoured I am! -
9:16 - 9:22Yet in less than ten days,
-
9:22 - 9:25I'll be 76 years old.
-
9:28 - 9:31I started rakugo at 68.
-
9:31 - 9:35These 8 years with rakugo
are totally different -
9:35 - 9:38from those in my 30s and 40s.
-
9:39 - 9:45I have been obviously weaker
both physically and mentally. -
9:48 - 9:54Yet I do not think
I will quit my performance anytime soon. -
9:56 - 9:59No matter how old I get,
-
10:01 - 10:06my power and passion
to delight and make laugh my audience, -
10:06 - 10:12the power I get when I think
how to make my audience laugh, -
10:12 - 10:16are never going to decay.
-
10:16 - 10:22The power to make people happy
will spontaneously replenish my batteries, -
10:23 - 10:27because I enjoy interacting with people.
-
10:27 - 10:31At first I wanted
to keep in touch with people. -
10:31 - 10:36And that is why I started to learn rakugo.
-
10:40 - 10:41Since then,
-
10:41 - 10:46I've always enjoyed performing
at old people's unions, and other venues. -
10:47 - 10:50I've always enjoyed
attending rakugo class. -
10:51 - 10:55I've always enjoyed meeting people.
-
10:56 - 11:00The networking at old people's unions
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11:00 - 11:04polished up my rakugo skills,
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11:04 - 11:06and gave me power and confidence.
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11:08 - 11:13One interaction lead to another,
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11:14 - 11:18generating new opportunities.
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11:19 - 11:23The reason I was elected Rakugo Queen
-
11:23 - 11:25and why I am here on the stage,
-
11:25 - 11:30is because I met people
who triggered my enthusiasm. -
11:30 - 11:33That's for sure.
-
11:34 - 11:39The important thing is
to take one step forward -
11:39 - 11:44to some place where people
gather and interact. -
11:44 - 11:47I believe that interacting with people
-
11:48 - 11:55can generate huge possibilities
that are otherwise unimaginable. -
11:56 - 12:02With this belief, I think I will keep
performing forever. -
12:04 - 12:08Now, I would like to invite you
to interact with each other. -
12:08 - 12:12Let's have fun together.
-
12:14 - 12:18Here is a short rakugo for you.
-
12:19 - 12:23The title is "the Hammer".
-
12:23 - 12:26First I'll read it out loud.
Please, listen to it once. -
12:30 - 12:32Hey, go get a hammer
from Scott the neighbour. -
12:32 - 12:34I've got to hit this nail.
-
12:34 - 12:37I went and asked Scott
but he refused to lend me any. -
12:37 - 12:39Why not?
-
12:39 - 12:42Scott asked me "what for?",
and I answered "to hit a nail". -
12:42 - 12:45Scott told me it'll damage his hammer,
-
12:45 - 12:47and he wouldn't let me use it.
-
12:47 - 12:50He is so cheap!
-
12:51 - 12:53How much will a nail damage a hammer?
-
12:53 - 12:55Don't ask such a cheap guy.
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12:55 - 12:57Forget about him.
-
12:58 - 12:59I'll use mine!
-
12:59 - 13:01(Laughter)
-
13:01 - 13:04This is how the story goes.
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13:04 - 13:09Okay, I would like you to involve you.
I know you've been sitting quietly. -
13:09 - 13:11So let's voice it out together.
-
13:11 - 13:12Let's have fun together.
-
13:12 - 13:17Let's start with "Hey go get a hammer
from Scott the neighbour". -
13:18 - 13:20Let's read it out together.
-
13:20 - 13:22Okay, one, two three, go.
-
13:22 - 13:27Hey go get a hammer
from Scott the neighbor. -
13:28 - 13:32I've got to hit this nail.
-
13:32 - 13:36I went and asked Scott
but he refused to lend me any. -
13:36 - 13:37Why not?
-
13:38 - 13:43Scott asked me "what for?",
and I answered "to hit a nail". -
13:44 - 13:48Scott told me it'll damage his hammer,
-
13:48 - 13:51and he wouldn't let me use it.
-
13:51 - 13:53He is so cheap!
-
13:55 - 13:59How much will a nail damage a hammer?
-
13:59 - 14:01Don't ask such a cheap guy.
-
14:01 - 14:05Forget about him.
-
14:06 - 14:08I'll use mine!
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14:08 - 14:10(Applause) Thank you.
-
14:11 - 14:14Now, let's see.
-
14:15 - 14:17Where to start, from here?
-
14:17 - 14:22Everyone from this line to this side,
please read the line in black font. -
14:23 - 14:30Then everyone from this side on,
read the white font in a black background. -
14:30 - 14:32So, okay, you all need to be loud enough.
-
14:32 - 14:34Let's start with "Go get a hammer".
-
14:34 - 14:36Here we go.
-
14:36 - 14:38From "Go get a hammer", right?
One, two three, Go. -
14:38 - 14:43Hey, go get a hammer
from Scott the neighbour. -
14:43 - 14:46I've got to hit this nail.
-
14:46 - 14:50I went and asked Scott
but he refused to lend me any. -
14:50 - 14:53Why not?
-
14:53 - 14:58Scott asked me "what for?",
and I answered "to hit a nail". -
14:59 - 15:03Scott told me it'll damage his hammer,
-
15:03 - 15:05and he wouldn't let me use it.
-
15:05 - 15:08He is so cheap!
-
15:10 - 15:13How much will a nail damage a hammer?
-
15:13 - 15:16Don't ask such a cheap guy.
-
15:16 - 15:18Forget about him.
-
15:20 - 15:22I'll use mine!
-
15:22 - 15:26Thank you very much.
(Applause) -
15:28 - 15:31Well, with this rakugo,
I will conclude my talk. -
15:31 - 15:34Thank you for your attention.
-
15:34 - 15:35(Applause)
- Title:
- Interaction leads us to a new future | Marumarutei Ohagi | TEDxSannomiya
- Description:
-
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.
- Video Language:
- Japanese
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDxTalks
- Duration:
- 15:43
TED Translators admin approved English subtitles for 交流の明日 | 丸々亭 おはぎ | TEDxSannomiya | ||
Claire Ghyselen accepted English subtitles for 交流の明日 | 丸々亭 おはぎ | TEDxSannomiya | ||
Claire Ghyselen edited English subtitles for 交流の明日 | 丸々亭 おはぎ | TEDxSannomiya | ||
Hiroko Kawano edited English subtitles for 交流の明日 | 丸々亭 おはぎ | TEDxSannomiya | ||
Hiroko Kawano edited English subtitles for 交流の明日 | 丸々亭 おはぎ | TEDxSannomiya | ||
Hiroko Kawano edited English subtitles for 交流の明日 | 丸々亭 おはぎ | TEDxSannomiya | ||
Hiroko Kawano edited English subtitles for 交流の明日 | 丸々亭 おはぎ | TEDxSannomiya | ||
Claire Ghyselen declined English subtitles for 交流の明日 | 丸々亭 おはぎ | TEDxSannomiya |