nice to meet you. My name is Shokichi Shunputei.　　I’m a rakugo performer.

I moved to Tokyo from my hometown and joined my university’s rakugo club.

When I was in my third year of university, I won the national rakugo competition for students.

Later, when I was in fourth grade, I volunteered to perform rakugo at facilities for the elderly, educational institutions, medical juvenile detention centers, and hospices.

I also volunteered at a school for the blind in Hachioji.

On that day, the teacher told me,

“Because children are so diverse, classical rakugo may not be well received.”

It was my first time to perform rakugo in front of blind people, so I was nervous about whether they would be happy.

However, when I performed Rakugo, it was unexpectedly popular.

The performance was very exciting.

In rakugo, the speaker distinguishes the characters by turning their faces to the left and right.

Children at a school for the blind can tell which way the performer is speaking by the way the sound reflects off the walls.

After the performance, when I asked the children what they thought, they said,

“It was interesting” and “The voices were easy to listen to.”

The anxiety I felt at first seemed to be blown away, and I was so happy that I cried.

It was an unforgettable memory of my student days.

Before I moved to Tokyo, I had seen on TV that Fujio Akatsuka had created a Braille picture book featuring manga characters. Because of my experience at a school for the blind, I have always wanted to create a Braille picture book of rakugo.

This year, this dream has made great progress. Many experts helped me.

I also received an idea to use a 3D printer.

By making the objects that appear in Rakugo three-dimensional, you can enjoy them by touching them.

By materializing things, not only people with visual impairments, but everyone can enjoy rakugo more clearly.

This is consistent with the concept of “universal design.”

The first rakugo performance I’m working on is “Manju Kowai.”

Various animals and steamed buns will appear.

We devised the story and production so that all children, sighted or blind, could enjoy it.

The donations we receive will be used to cover picture book production costs, shipping costs, etc.

The books will be donated to approximately 160 facilities across the country, including Braille libraries and schools for the blind.

I believe that all children will be able to communicate through this picture book, and that it will be an opportunity to break down invisible barriers.

If a corporation provides support of 100,000 yen or more, the company name will be included in the picture book. Therefore, it is possible to record it as an advertising expense.

Finally, we would like to ask for your warm support. I believe that this picture book that we will create together will bring dreams and smiles to many children.