Mixing rakugo humour with modern renewable energy needs

Minna Denryoku, a leading renewable-energy supplier in Japan, rebranded as UPDATER, a Tokyo-based social-update company. Recently, it has turned to the traditional art of rakugo to show that renewable energy can be engaging and practical. Its sustainable shop, Minna Shoten in Shimokitazawa, will host a special rakugo afternoon on Saturday, 14 June. The 90-minute session will mix Edo-period humour with modern climate action, leveraging laughter as a gateway to cleaner power.

Veteran storyteller Tachibanatei Manten will perform “Kamiguzuya” and “Doguya,” Edo-era tales of scrap-paper dealers and itinerant merchants who kept resources circulating, stories reflecting the Circular Edonomy. After the laughs, Satoru Kurokawa, customer-support manager at UPDATER, will outline how the firm’s Minna Denryoku service applies the same mindset today by delivering electricity that is 100 per cent renewable and fully traceable to named producers. Knowing a supplier’s story can encourage smarter consumption; households that switch to renewables can cut their carbon footprint by about one tonne a year.

Minna Shoten, which opened in April, is built for easy, low-impact choices, from fermented-fruit parfaits to a “neo dagashiya” stocked with eco-conscious snacks. Tickets cost ¥600, including a drink redeemable on the ground floor. Attendance is capped at 20 and allocated by lottery. (Applications have closed.)

Though UPDATER adopted its current name in 2021, it pioneered blockchain-based power traceability under the Minna Denryoku banner. It now sources energy from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and hydro plants across 42 prefectures, insisting on strict environmental and community standards. As it broadens its sustainability work, UPDATER hopes guests will leave Minna Shoten entertained, informed and ready to weave renewable energy into daily life.