Human interest stories - Ninjobanashi

Also written as ninjyobanashi (human interest stories), it is a genre of rakugo. It is a classification of rakugo based on the content, and is the opposite of rakugo stories (including short stories). In a broad sense, it refers to stories that are not just funny but also delve into the subtleties of human feelings, and in a narrow sense, it refers to stories that are similar to sewa-koshaku (a type of lecture). Originally, it was a continuous story with no punch line, but nowadays, stories that have a punch line but are human-like and deeply moving are also called ninjyobanashi. During the An'ei era (1772-81), the first Ishii Soshuku performed long stories, and the second Soshuku is said to have founded ninjyobanashi during the Bunka and Bunsei eras (1804-30). In Kamigata, Shibaya Shiso performed long stories during the Kansei, Kyowa and Bunka eras (1789-1818), but there is no term for Kamigata rakugo called "ninjyobanashi." Ninjyobanashi became popular in Edo during the late Edo period, and Kokontei Shinsho I was famous for it. It was San'yutei Encho in the early Meiji period who brought ninjyobanashi to perfection, but up until the Showa era, San'yutei Ensho VI and Hayashiya Shozo VIII (Hikoroku) continued to carry on this tradition.

[Kazuo Sekiyama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

人情咄(ばなし)とも書く。落語の一ジャンル。落語を内容のうえから分類したもので、落し噺（小咄(こばなし)も含む）に対していう。広義には笑いだけでなく人情の機微をうがった噺のことで、狭義には世話講釈に近い噺をいう。本来、続き噺で、落ち（サゲ）のないものであったが、現在では、落ちがあっても人情味があって、しみじみと聞かせる噺も人情噺という。安永(あんえい)（1772～81）のころ初代石井宗叔(そうしゅく)が長噺を演じ、2代目宗叔が文化・文政期（1804～30）に人情噺を創始したといわれる。上方(かみがた)でも寛政(かんせい)・享和(きょうわ)・文化（1789～1818）のころに芝屋芝叟(しそう)が長噺を演じたが、上方落語には「人情噺」という呼称はない。江戸で人情噺が流行したのは幕末期で、初代古今亭志ん生(ここんていしんしょう)が著名であった。人情噺を完成の域にまで導いたのは明治初期の三遊亭円朝(えんちょう)であったが、昭和の時代まで6代目三遊亭円生(えんしょう)、8代目林家正蔵(はやしやしょうぞう)（彦六(ひころく)）がこれをよく継承していた。

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