Rakugo is a form of humorous storytelling by a single narrator. Each story ends with an ochi or punchline. In former times this kind of storytelling was often referred to as karukuchi or otoshi-banashi, but the term Rakugo became prevalent during the second half of the 19th Century. Anrakuan Sakuden (1554-1642) of Kyoto introduced Rakugo at the beginning of the 17th Century, and is often referred to as the father of Rakugo.