> Kyokudo Minamifuji | Japanese Kodan Storyteller
KODAN STORYTELLER

旭堂南不二きょくどう　みなみふじ

Kyokudo Minamifuji

One-of-a-kind Kōdan.

Stories handed down through generations, retold for people living today. From the south of Mt. Fuji to the world.

Schedule About Minamifuji Repertoire Performance Inquiry
WHAT IS KŌDAN?

ひとりの語りで、
物語が動き出す。

張り扇で釈台を打つ音。
そして、たったひとりの声。

Kōdan is a traditional Japanese storytelling art that brings historical heroes and ordinary people back to life through the power of spoken narrative.

It was originally known as kōshaku.

講

To tell and pass on a story.

釈

To add the storyteller's own interpretation.

Kōdan is not simply the reading of an old story exactly as it was written.

Even with the same story, the characters, humor and emotion change depending on who tells it.

There is no elaborate stage set. Yet once the storytelling begins, the space can become a Sengoku battlefield or an Edo-period post town.

目の前には何もない。
だからこそ、頭の中には何でも描ける。

That is the magic of Kōdan.
MINAMIFUJI'S KŌDAN

Minamifuji's Kōdan

古典を大切に。
でも、古典にとどまらない。

Kyokudo Minamifuji aims to create Kōdan that reaches people hearing it for the very first time.

Rather than filling the performance with difficult language, he tells the story in words that let today's audience naturally picture faces, scenes and emotions.

笑って、驚いて、
ときには胸が熱くなる。

And while carrying the classics forward, he continues to explore new forms of expression.

You do not need to know Kōdan or be an expert in history.

“I never knew Kōdan could move me this deeply.”

That is the kind of performance he wants audiences to experience.

この日、この場所、このお客様とつくる、
二つとない講談をお届けします。

ON STAGE

Schedule

Upcoming featured performances are listed here.

2026
09.21
MONDAY
324TH TEMMA KŌDAN / OSAKA

Temma Kodan Performance

Celebrating 50 years of Kyokudo Nanzaemon's career as a storyteller

VENUEKita Ward Community Center, Meeting Rooms 1 & 2 · 2-1-27 Ogimachi, Kita-ku, Osaka
TIMEDoors 18:00 / Start 18:30
TICKETSAdmission ¥2,000 · General seating
PROGRAM

Kyokudo Minamifuji — The Origin of Kadoya-bune / Kyokudo Nanto — Hyotanya Sabaki / Kyokudo Nankei — Hachijojima Monogatari / Intermission / Kyokudo Nankyo — Mikawaya Kokichi / Kyokudo Nanzaemon — Men no Mochi

天満講談席
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Inquiry +81-90-1903-8389 ↗
2026
10.03
SATURDAY
40TH NAGOYA GANNŌJI KŌDAN / NAGOYA, AICHI

Gannōji Kōdan Performance

Taikōki Special — Part 2

VENUEGannōji · Lotus Building 9F, 18-22 Tsubaki-cho, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi
TIMEDoors 15:30 / Start 16:00
TICKETSAdmission ¥2,000
PROGRAM

Kyokudo Nanshi — Amagasaki Ikki-gake (Part 1) / Kyokudo Minamifuji — Amagasaki Ikki-gake (Part 2) / Kyokudo Nanzan — Kinryu Nawabari Mondo / Intermission / Kyokudo Nansei — Tenka Tairan Yaro / Kyokudo Nanzaemon — Battle of Yamazaki

願王寺講談会
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Booking inquiry ↗
2026
11.01
SUNDAY
KŌDAN × SHAMISEN / FUJI, SHIZUOKA

Kyokudo Minamifuji & Sakurako Sato

Voice and strings weave a story.

2026年11月1日 旭堂南不二・佐藤さくら子 二人会 公演チラシ
VENUEIzakaya Pochi · Yoshiwara 4-10-48, Fuji, Shizuoka
TIMEDoors 16:00 / Start 16:15 / Ends around 18:00
TICKETSAdvance ¥3,000 / Door ¥3,500 · One drink included
CAPACITY50
Book here ↗
THE STORYTELLER

Kyokudo Minamifuji

A Kōdan storyteller who performs on stage and teaches Kōdan at university.

A Kōdan storyteller from Fuji City, Shizuoka. Disciple of Kyokudo Nanzaemon and a member of the Kamigata Kodan Association.

“Minamifuji” is the stage name given to him by his master, Kyokudo Nanzaemon.

The name carries two meanings: Fuji, from being born and raised at the foot of Mt. Fuji, and 不二, meaning “there is no second” — one of a kind.

That is why he values the idea of ‘one performance, one encounter.’ Even the same story changes with the audience and the atmosphere of the day. He honors stories handed down through generations while telling them in words that reach people living now.

A performance that makes you laugh, moves your heart, and leaves you looking forward to tomorrow a little more. That is the one-of-a-kind Kōdan he aims to create.

And beyond inheriting tradition, he wants to widen the reach of that tradition.

Through collaborations with music, teaching Kōdan at university, lectures, workshops and digital media, he is expanding how Kōdan can be shared. He is also beginning new efforts to bring Kōdan to the world through English introductions and subtitles.

New forms may invite different opinions. But one thing does not change: telling stories that move people.

Carrying tradition forward, opening new doors, and reaching people who have not yet discovered Kōdan — from Japan to the world.

一席一会。二つとない講談を。
旭堂南不二

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REPERTOIRE

Repertoire

From classical tales handed down through generations to original works that revive local history and remarkable people as new Kōdan stories.

旭堂南不二は、物語の時代やジャンルを越えて、「今を生きる人の頭の中に、景色が浮かぶ講談」を目指しています。

CLASSICAL KŌDAN

Classical Kōdan

The world of Kōdan has been passed down over generations. These stories reveal not only heroic deeds, but wit, compassion, love, loyalty, and the timeless fascination of human nature.

Taikōki — Tales of Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Stories of Hideyoshi carving out his future through wit and courage, from his rise to power to episodes rich in humanity.

「秀吉の初陣」

Young Hideyoshi takes to the battlefield, revealing the courage and talent that foreshadow the future ruler of Japan.

「秀吉と易者」

An encounter between an unknown Hideyoshi and a fortune-teller — a tale about destiny and the ability to see the person within.

「三日普請」

Faced with an impossible task, Hideyoshi's ingenuity and gift for moving people come to the fore.

「呑み取りの槍（黒田節の由来）」

A bold contest over sake and a famous spear, leading into the story behind the celebrated song Kuroda-bushi.

「秀吉と利休」

The ruler Hideyoshi and tea master Sen no Rikyū meet in a story where powerful personalities and aesthetics collide.

Also: Hideyoshi's Foot-Soldier Days, Tōkichirō's Child-Minding Service, Taikō and the Art of Elegance, and more.

Nanba Senki — Stories of the Siege of Osaka

An age when the fate of the realm was shifting. These stories portray the strategy, resolve and destiny of warriors with the immediacy of the battlefield.

Opening of Nanba Senki

Toyotomi and Tokugawa face one another as the story moves toward the Siege of Osaka — the opening of a conflict that will shake the realm.

The Burning of Hannya-ji

Strategy and resolve collide amid the turmoil of war, unfolding with the tension and rhythm unique to Kodan.

The Mine Fire at Hirano

A daring stratagem to meet the enemy brings wit and courage into sharp conflict in a story full of suspense.

The Poison-Death Legend of Yuki Hideyasu

A tale built around the poison-death legend of Yuki Hideyasu, the second son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, exploring a warrior's life and fate.

Hidari Jingorō — Tales of a Master Craftsman

Legendary master craftsman Hidari Jingorō is celebrated not only for extraordinary skill, but also for wit, warmth and wondrous episodes.

Meeting Kano Tanyu

Legendary sculptor Hidari Jingoro meets celebrated painter Kano Tanyu — a story about the encounter of two extraordinary talents.

The Origin of Nekomochi

A warm and witty tale filled with Jingoro's quick thinking, humor and humanity, revealing the curious origin of Nekomochi.

The Travels of Mito Kōmon

As Lord Mito travels the provinces, he meets ordinary townspeople. Humor and humanity reveal small pieces of wisdom about life.

Success from the Tenement

An unexpected rise begins among ordinary tenement residents, with humor revealing the surprising power of human connections.

Mito Komon and Farming

Mito Komon encounters people's everyday lives through farming — a story rich in practical wisdom and humanity.

The Cattle Thief

A commotion over a stolen cow brings out the wit, warmth and quick thinking that make the Mito Komon tales so enjoyable.

Akō Loyalists Side Stories & Human Dramas

These stories shine a light not only on history's central figures, but also on the people who lived around them.

Matsuura Iki-no-kami

A side story of Chushingura and the Ako retainers, told from a different point of view.

Yaoya Jinbei

A warm human story about the compassion and spirit of ordinary townspeople.

Kizu Kansuke

A human drama about a man who devoted his strength to helping others.

The Miraculous Medicine of Filial Devotion

A tale of devotion to one's parents, told with humor and warmth.

Two Paths of Good and Evil

A story of good and evil, and the human heart wavering between them.

Mikawaya Kokichi

A warm story of a life shaped by duty, compassion and human bonds.

Yamauchi Kazutoyo and His Wife Chiyo

The story of Chiyo, whose wisdom and support helped shape her husband's destiny — a tale of partnership and devotion.

ORIGINAL KŌDAN

Original Kōdan

Kōdan is not an art confined to old stories.

土地に残る歴史。
忘れられかけた人物。
文学や音楽の中にある物語。

それらを調べ、組み立て、
新しい講談として次の時代へ語り継いでいく。

That, too, is an important part of Kyokudo Minamifuji's work.

「ディアナ号の錨」

A Kōdan performance that revives a piece of Shizuoka's local history and collective memory.

「長さん小路の由来」

Even a place name we pass without notice can hold a story. This piece uncovers history sleeping within the local landscape.

「歌川広重伝・名勝 左富士」

Ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Hiroshige and the famous Left Fuji view of Yoshiwara on the Tōkaidō — a local landscape reborn as story.

「賢者たちの贈り物」

A beloved story crossing eras and borders, retold through the rhythm and language of Kōdan.

「鍵盤に命をかけた男たち」

A new Kōdan challenge portraying music and human passion through the power of storytelling.

古典を受け継ぎ、新しい物語をつくる。
その両方が、旭堂南不二の講談です。
GET IN TOUCH

あなたの街にも、
講談を。

For performances, talks at universities and cultural venues, workshops, media and collaborations, please get in touch by email.

373fuji@gmail.com
この日、この場所、この一席。
あなたの明日を変えていく。

CHALLENGE

Minamifuji's Challenge

In pursuit of a one-of-a-kind performance.

Honoring tradition while searching for forms of kōdan not yet seen. Stepping beyond the stage, meeting music, learning shamisen, and crossing language barriers. There is still more kōdan can become. Minamifuji keeps searching for what lies ahead.

01 / MUSIC

Storytelling with music.

What happens when kōdan meets piano and other forms of music? Exploring new shapes for the stage.

02 / SHAMISEN

Learning shamisen.

The storyteller takes up the shamisen. Each lesson is another step toward a performance unlike any other.

03 / WORLD

Taking kōdan to the world.

Through English introductions and subtitles, opening a doorway into kōdan for new audiences — from the foot of Mt. Fuji to the world.

BACKSTAGE

BACKSTAGE

Beyond the stage.

Rehearsals, the moments before a performance, the wings, the road. Every story on stage is shaped by unseen hours. Here we keep a record of those smaller stories along the way.

SCENE 01

Learning from the wings.

Watching masters and senior storytellers from the wings is part of the work that shapes the next performance.

SCENE 02

Before the story begins.

The harisen, the shakudai, the voice, the breath. Even the final moments of preparation carry a story of their own.

SCENE 03

Recording the journey.

Not only the finished performance, but the experiments, uncertainty and small steps forward — a record of where Minamifuji is now.