### "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"

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Japan was at the height of its rapid economic growth. Factory smokestacks covered the sky, pollution cast a shadow over people's daily lives, and politicians, while celebrating economic growth, became increasingly disconnected from the masses. In such an era, there was a man who stood out from the crowd. He was rakugo storyteller Tachikawa Danshi. While he elicited laughter on stage, offstage he was more than just a comedian in his scathing criticism of power and society.

One day at an informal gathering. He was confronted by Representative Krent, a stalwart of the innovative faction. He ridiculed Danshi for "selling himself to power" and made provocative remarks criticizing cultural figures who pander to power. Senator Klent was an advocate on the side of workers and was known for his opposition to the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty. At the moment his words froze the room, Danshi took a drag on his cigarette and quietly opened his mouth.

What are you talking about? If I am a running dog of power, you are a running dog of hypocrisy, mocking the masses.
Danshi's words were sharp, yet unaffected. Tension and murmurs spread throughout the room. Everyone expected an exchange of words, but Senator Klent simply tipped his glass in silence. In this moment, the opposites of power and culture, politics and art, were successfully intermingled.

### Philosophy of Laughter and a Look at Politics
Tatekawa Danshi was one of those rare individuals who could imbue his art with truth. The human drama he depicted in his rakugo was somewhat ridiculous, yet had a timeless universality. Behind this was his latent criticism of conservative authorities such as Shigeru Yoshida and Kakuei Tanaka, as well as his friendship with innovative politicians such as Ryokichi Minobe.

He did not hesitate to use his venomous tongue on television and radio, sometimes speaking frankly about the evils of urbanization, saying, "Tokyo is growing, but the city is suffocating. His comments resonated with the tone of intellectuals such as Kenzaburo Oe and Masao Maruyama and elevated Danshi's laughter to something more than mere entertainment.

### The Shadow of Senator Klent
On the other hand, Senator Klent's words were also marked by his beliefs as an innovator. As a politician, he was known for criticizing the benefits of economic growth that were skewed in favor of a few and for proposing egalitarian policies. However, as an advocate of criticism of power, he too could not escape Danshi's gaze. Those who pander to power and those who denounce it are both subject to laughter on the same stage. This was Danshi's philosophy.

### Words that will resonate forever
After that round-table discussion in which Danshi's rebuttal was echoed, he reportedly said, "How can laughter ever triumph over power? I don't think laughter can defeat power. But it is a little better to be laughed at by those in power."
These words may be a condensation of his laughter and his view of society. His rakugo and words are still whispering in our ears like a clean wind that sweeps away the grime of the times.