During the war, NHK asked an expert to check the radio broadcast records at that time about "national rakugo" made to raise the fighting spirit of the people, and it was found that at least 14 performances were broadcast. understood.

Experts say, "For the first time, the material confirmed that national rakugo was broadcast nationwide."

During the war, national rakugo was created by popular rakugo artists such as Kinba Sanyutei III and Hayashiya Shozo 7th to raise the spirit of the war.



According to Engei history researcher Shin Kashiwagi, it has been actively made since 1945, and about 140 performances have been confirmed at present.



The content was to praise the expedition as an honor and to encourage the people to save and buy bonds to secure military spending, and it was known that it was shown at a vaudeville or sold as a book or record. rice field.



This time, NHK examined the radio broadcast records of its predecessor, the Japan Broadcasting Corporation, and found that rakugo was broadcast at least 430 times between 1945 and the end of the war.



Then, when I asked Mr. Kashiwagi to check the program, at least 14 national rakugo stories such as "Back store bank" that opened a bank in Nagaya and recommended saving money and "Aerial warfare" that praised the strength of the Japanese army were found. It turned out that it was broadcast 19 times.



Some were broadcast from vaudeville or naval hospitals, and according to other records, the radio broadcast was unveiled for the first time.



Mr. Kashiwagi says, "There were people who said,'I've heard national rakugo on the radio,' but the fact that it was broadcast nationwide was confirmed by the materials for the first time."



On top of that, "At that time, entertainment programs such as rakugo were broadcast for the purpose of entertaining the people. Incorporating national rakugo by popular rakugo into it, under the garment of" laughter ", the armor of" war " I was trying to make the people cooperate in the war by wearing a rakugo. Originally, rakugo that makes people laugh does not match the war, but even rakugo was used in the war, which is very much from the lessons of history. It's important. "



Regarding national policy rakugo, Sanpei Hayashiya performed a performance called "Departure Celebration" announced under the name of his grandfather's seventh generation, Hayashiya Shozo, for five years to let people know the preciousness of peace. going.