In modern Japanese slang, "naniwabushi" is sometimes used to mean "a sob story", since the songs were often about sad subjects. The stories were commonly about folktales and myths with themes of loyalty and human emotion. It shares roots with older narratives such as jōruri, sekkyō-bushi and kowaka emerged alongside kōdan and rakugo as dominant narrative arts during its peak popularity.[1]
There are two types of naniwa-bushi: Kanto-bushi which was found mostly in east Tokyo and Kansai-bushi, derived from ukare-bushi from West Osaka.
Performance Style[edit]
In a rōkyoku performance, the rōkyokushi (singer) will deliver the narrative singing in the centre of the stage, with a blend of sung sections (fushi) and spoken word (tanka).[1] The kyokushi (shamisen player) accompanies the singer and plays along. The rōkyokushi will try to captivate and engage with the audience.[2]