A multi-generational human drama set in the world of rakugo, a traditional form of Japanese comedic storytelling, Descending Stories follows an ex-convict whose life is changed by his apprenticeship to a famed storyteller, and Konatsu, who yearns to perform rakugo but cannot because women are not permitted in the craft. CLOSED CURTAINS The last great rakugo storyteller of the Showa Era, Yakumo Yurakutei, continues to tell his apprentice, Yotaro, of the promise he made to his late best friend and rival, Sukeroku. As both men work towards their debut as shin’uchi, they are left to confront what drives them forward – for Sukeroku, it’s to create a path for the future of rakugo, and for Kikuhiko, it’s to discover a rakugo that’s uniquely his own. Can he and Sukeroku continue to walk the same path, or will their journey through the world of rakugo together be severed? | Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju 3 by Haruko Kumota, Paperback | Indigo Chapters