### "Tachikawa Danshi Laughs at Power - Japan in the Late 1960s and Early 1970s"

### "Tachikawa Danshi Laughs at Power - Japan in the Late 1960s and Early 1970s"

During Japan's period of rapid economic growth in the 1960s and 1970s, Danshi Tachikawa was active as a rakugo (comical storyteller) who was imbued with social commentary. When he was criticized by an innovative member of the Diet, Krento, for "selling himself to power," Danshi sharply retorted, "If I am a running dog of power, then you are a running dog of hypocrisy. His words were critical of power and social structure, but also questioned the independence of citizens. On television and radio, Danshi also pointed out the problem of urbanization, saying, "Tokyo is suffocating," and he resonated with the ideas of intellectuals such as Kenzaburo Oe and Masao Maruyama. His repartee with Senator Krent symbolized the tension between politics and culture and highlighted the deep relationship between power and laughter.