Shijaku Katsura II

Katsura Shijaku II (2代目 桂 枝雀, Nidaime Katsura Shijaku, August 13, 1939 – April 19, 1999) was a Japanese rakugo performer of the late 20th century, who often performed in English. He was born Tōru Maeda (前田 達, Maeda Tōru) in Kobe, the son of a brick-maker.[1] In 1960 he entered the tutelage of the rakugo performer Katsura Beichō III (桂米朝), and upon completion of his study, was given the stage name Katsura Koyone X (桂小米).[2] He changed his stage name to Shijaku Katsura (Shijaku Katsura II)[3] in 1974.

Crest of the Katsura school of rakugo

Katsura studied English in the early 1980s, and gave his first English-language rakugo performance in 1983.[4] For the rest of his career, he often performed rakugo in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere, making an otherwise inaccessible form of comedy accessible for non-Japanese speakers.

He also assisted in launching the career of Bill Crowley, the non-Japanese professional rakugo performer.[5]

Katsura died of heart failure on April 19, 1999, after a suicide attempt at his home in Suita, Osaka.[6] He was discovered by his wife Eyo and his brother, the magician Takeshi Maeda.