KATSURA SUNSHINE'S RAKUGO

Date: 📅 Friday, October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 at Doors open at 6:00 PM // Show Starts at 7pm

[Your ticket is only good for ONE show at a time]

Location: 📌 Nippon Kan Theatre, 628 S Washington St, Seattle, WA 98104

400 YEARS OF JAPANESE COMIC STORYTELLING, IN A 1909 LANDMARK BUILT FOR EXACTLY THIS 🎭🏮

For one night only, internationally celebrated Rakugo Master Katsura Sunshine brings his English-language comic storytelling to Seattle's Nippon Kan Theatre, the historic 1909 Japanese-American theatre at the heart of Seattle's Japantown International District. ✨

Rakugo is the 400-year-old Japanese tradition of comic storytelling. A lone performer in kimono, kneeling on a cushion, using only a folding fan and a hand towel as props. The result is something between stand-up comedy and a fireside tale. An intimate, character-driven evening where centuries-old folk stories meet modern humor and turn out to be surprisingly close to one another. 🎙️

Often described as "sit-down comedy," rakugo lets a single storyteller become an entire cast through nothing more than the turn of a head and a shift in voice. By the end of the evening, you will have forgotten you were watching a performance at all. 🎭

About Katsura Sunshine

Katsura Sunshine completed his grueling traditional apprenticeship in Rakugo comic storytelling under the great Rakugo Master Katsura Bunshi VI in 2011.

His performances have delighted audiences throughout the world as well as all over Japan.

Sunshine has graced the Broadway stage with a different delightful Japanese story each month since 2019, at the famous New World Stages in Manhattan.

Come for an hour of laughter and leave with a piece of Japan in you heart!

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"A Master Storyteller!"-The New York Times

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"The King of Kimono Comedy!"-Reuters New York

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"There is only one Sunshine!"-The New Yorker

Why Nippon Kan

This is not a generic theatre booking. Nippon Kan opened in 1909 as Seattle's first Japanese theatre, built by and for the Japanese-American community of Nihonmachi. To experience an authentic rakugo performance in a space with this kind of cultural lineage is genuinely rare anywhere in North America. 🏯

The room is intimate, the stage is original, and the architecture has been listening to performances like this one for over a century.

Seating & Tickets 🎟️

[All audience members are invited to Meet and Greet with Sunshine]

• VIP — First two rows, reserved seats. Closest to the performer. Plus: Priority place in line for meet and greet with Sunshine after the performance.

• Premium — Third row, reserved seats. Excellent sightlines and proximity. Plus: Priority place in line for meet and greet with Sunshine after the performance.

• General Admission — General seating from row three back, plus mezzanine. First-come, first-served, so arrive early to choose your spot.

PLEASE NOTE 📝

• 🎟️ VIP and Premium seats are reserved. General Admission seating is first-come, first-served. Arrive early to choose your preferred spot.

• ✋ Upon arrival, please wait for an usher to assist with seating.

• 🅿️ Parking: Metered street parking is available on S Washington St and surrounding blocks. Paid public lots are within a two to three minute walk.

• ♿ Accessibility: Nippon Kan is a 1909 historic building and has limited ADA accessibility. Please reach out in advance if you have specific access needs and we will do our best to accommodate.

• 🚫 All ticket sales are final. Tickets are non-refundable or exchangeable. Ages 7+

• ❓ Questions about the show? Email cmonteiro@kobeparkevents.com.