Yakumo Yuurakutei the 8th

Yakumo Yuurakutei (有楽亭 八曇) the 8th is a major character of Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. He is one of the many masters of rakugo.

Yakumo Yuurakutei the 8th
Name
Kanji	菊 (きく) 比 (ひ) 古 (こ) 八 (や) 曇 (くも) 有(ゆう)楽(らく)亭(てい) 助(すけ)六(ろく)
Rōmaji	Kikuhiko Yakumo Yuurakutei
Alias	Bon-chan (Sukeroku/Shinnosuke) Yakumo Shisho (Kyoji, Matsuda-san) Eighth Generation (public)
Personal Description
Age	52 (Episode 1)
Gender	Male
Height	168 cm (Approximately)
Professional Status
Title	Yakumo Yuurakutei (有楽亭八曇)
First Appearance
Manga Debut	Chapter 1
Anime Debut	Episode 1
Portrayal
Japanese Voice	Sanae Kobayashi (Child) Akira Ishida (Adult)

Name

Yakumo's birth name appears to be Bon (坊)

In his early teens, Yakumo was assigned the stage name "Kikuhiko (菊比古)" by his master. Yakumo had intended to keep this name, believing it fit him and that the name Yakumo should be inherited by Sukeroku. After the passing of Sukeroku and his master, Yakumo Yuurakutei the 7th, Kukihiko agreed to inherit the name "Yakumo". This made him Yakumo Yuurakutei (有楽亭 八曇) the 8th.

History

Yakumo was born into a geisha house sometime in the 1920s. He was trained in dancing, singing as well as the shamisen. Due to the nature of Geisha being a women-only field, he was often frowned upon and pitied by the women living there. Eventually, he sustained a serious injury to his leg rendering him unable to dance and forced to use a cane.

Due to all of these circumstances, he was sent to study rakugo under Yakumo Yuurakutei the 7th despite having no interest in rakugo. While apprenticed under Yakumo, he was introduced to his fellow apprentice of the same age, Sukeroku.

Story

The story starts with Yakumo recruiting Kyoji as an apprentice when Kyoji get's out from prison and shows up when Yakumo was about to get into his car. Yakumo who has never taken in an apprentice decides that he will teach Kyoji Rakugo and tells Kyoji he'll be living with him and Konatsu. Yakumo assigns Kyoji the name "Yotaro". As the three started living together, one evening Yakumo decides to tell Yotaro and Konatsu about how he got involved in Rakugo and how he met Konatsu's father Shinnosuke.

Yakumo starts the story by telling them that when he was young he had sustained a leg injury and since he was no longer able to dance he was sent to learn Rakugo to Yakumo Yuurakuei The 7th. As Yakumo and the mistress that was with him reached the house of Yakumo 7th Sukeroku came running saying he wants to learn rakugo as well.

Trivia

• He refers to himself using 私 (Watashi)
• He's well versed in many arts including the shamisen and dancing due to being born in a Geisha house. Likewise, he can also be seen doing calligraphy.
• The kanji for the name Bon (坊) is also used in the word for young master (坊ちゃん), which he was also referred to as by the woman escorting him in chapter 6.
• According to Yotaro, Yakumo speaks with a Edo-Ben (江戸弁), a traditional Tokyo dialect.
• He's ten years younger than Matsuda.