Know Your Audience

Commentary

As someone who fully appreciates rakugo, I am delighted that the artform is weaving its way outside the borders of Japan. Today, rakugo is no longer limited to only the Japanese audience. Rakugo storytelling is increasingly being performed in foreign languages and with sub-titles. However, it is imperative for the performer to know and understand his or her target audience. Let me repeat that —it isn’t something “nice to have,” it is imperative.

As a published author, I know how important it is to know your audience and to speak to them. Without keeping your readers in mind while writing, it is difficult to reach them and convey your story in a meaningful way. Yet, I find some rakugo storytellers who want to perform in other languages who habitually communicate in Japanese. While it is true that people often embrace the familiar because it is what they are most comfortable with, stepping outside the boundaries of familiarity is almost always necessary if you want to do something unique and make a profound impact.

Traditionally in rakugo, a storyteller often refrains from making a decision about what story he or she will tell and how that story will be told, until after they have had an opportunity to survey the audience. This same principle should apply to the storyteller’s other activities as well. Like authors, rakugo storytellers need to actively promote themselves and their work in order to remain relevant in a highly competitive environment. If they want to reach a foreign audience but continually communicate in Japanese, they will most certainly alienate the people they are so desperately trying to reach.

Therefore, I challenge authors and rakugo storytellers alike to ask themselves, who am I doing this for and why am I doing this? If you are doing it for the purpose of introducing Japanese culture to a non-Japanese population, let it be crystal clear. Know who your audience is. Is your audience comprised of Japanese people who speak or are learning a foreign language? Or, does your audience primarily consist of foreign nationals? If the later is true, you must speak to them in their native tongue. If you want to promote English rakugo for example, English should be the primary language in which you communicate to your intended audience, whether it be through social media, websites, flyers, or any other promotional method. If you continually communicate about your work in a language which your target audience does not understand, you will frustrate them and you will lose them. Today’s machine translation is far from perfect. Do not rely on it or the fact that people will want to use it, to get your message across. Direct communication is best and it is preferred.

-Kristine Ohkubo