Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju 5By: Haruko Kumota Series: Descending Stories 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. A NEW ERA Time, which had stopped for Kikuhiko and Sukeroku, begins to move again at