Rikimaru Toho doesn't mind being stared at as long as he can hold the gaze of passers-by long enough to entice them to stop and sit down for an unusual show: a comic book reading.

日本漫讀家東方力丸並不介意被人盯著看，只要抓住路過行人目光的時間夠長，就足以吸引他們停下腳步並坐下來欣賞一場不尋常的朗讀漫畫秀。

And stay they do, hunched on low plastic stools inches away from Rikimaru, who offers the equivalent of an animated movie for the ears, his vast vocal registry bringing to life any character, from humans to robots.

路人果真駐足，弓著腰坐在塑膠矮凳上，距東方力丸只有數吋之遙，他端出只供耳朵欣賞的動漫電影，雄渾寬廣的音域賦與任何動漫角色生命，不管是普通人還是機器人。

The roaring overhead train, orange street lamps and the station walls comprise the setting for his performances of "manga" comics in Shimokitazawa, the cradle of Tokyo's underground culture.

在東京地下文化搖籃所在地下北澤，火車在頭上呼嘯而過，橘黃色街燈和車站牆壁構成他表演動漫的場景。

"I find it appealing to do, and to offer something that one doesn't sually experience," said the 34-year-old, whose real name is Satoshi Arikawa. "By making all kinds of voices including female ones, I enjoy watching my audience's reactions, and I am very grateful to them."

34歲的東方力丸本名有川智，他說：「我發現提供或做些平常很少體驗的事，可使身心愉悅。藉由發出包括女人在內各種不同的聲音，再看看觀眾的反應，我樂在其中，而且滿懷感激。」

With long, black, dishevelled hair held in place with a rudimentary bandana, along with glasses and a black goatee, Rikimaru's looks invite as much curiosity as his punchy voice which swings between bass and falsetto.

東方力丸留一頭黑色蓬亂的長髮，再用原始的紮染大手帕束住，戴副眼鏡，留黑色山羊鬍，當他鏗鏘有力的聲音在男低音和假音之間擺盪時，也引起大家好奇。

From action hero Kenshiro of the popular "Hokuto no Ken" series to the earless blue cat Doraemon and the lovelorn heroines of "The Rose of Versailles," Rikimaru has done them all. And that's not everything. "Attatatata! Bang-bang-bang! Aaargh!" he shouted, shaking a "Hokuto" comic depicting a battle involving machine guns and blood. His audience, a group of college students, erupted into laughter and applauded.

從超人氣的「北斗神拳」動漫系列動作明星〔世紀末救世主〕拳四郎，到沒有耳朵的藍貓小叮噹哆拉Ａ夢，乃至於「凡爾賽玫瑰」中失戀的女英雄，東方力丸來者不拒，全都扮演。那還不算什麼。他一邊漫讀，一邊製造音效高吼，「阿達達達！砰！砰！砰！啊！」搖晃「北斗神拳」漫畫中描繪充滿機關槍和血腥場面的戰鬥。他的觀眾是一群大學生，他們爆笑鼓掌。

When the scene changes, Rikimaru snaps his fingers and takes the deep solemn voice of a narrator. A crowd including children and a few elderly people gathered around him, some snapping photos of the scene with their cellphones. "This is really entertaining, and especially because it's so unusual. You don't normally see these sorts of street performances in Tokyo. It's so different," said a university student, 19-year-old Shohei Shindo.

當場景改變時，東方力丸彈響手指，又發出說書人深沈肅穆的聲音。一群包括兒童和幾名老人家在內的觀眾圍繞在他身旁，有人用手機在現場取景。19歲的大學生新藤昌平說：「這實在很逗趣，尤其因為這太不尋常了。通常你在東京看不到這類表演，實在太另類了。」

When Rikimaru was 19, around the time that Japan's so-called bubble economy plunged into a decade-long slump, he stayed in his room for an entire year not seeing anyone, one of the country's so-called "shut-ins". After he emerged, he held various temporary jobs. But it was manga reading that became the focus of his life and which has won him a solid fan base, evident in the regular comments on his blog.

東方力丸19歲那年，日本所謂泡沫經濟跌入長達10年的衰退，他有整整一年待在房裡，不見任何人，成為日本所謂的「御宅族」。等再步出家門，他打過各種臨時工，直到漫讀成為他生命的重心，並為他贏得一群固定死忠粉絲，從他部落格上經常出現的評語可見一斑。

He has appeared on television and travelled around Japan for shows, achieving a level of fame that would seem to justify the 14 years of effort he has put into training his voice and practising his reading skills. Through manga, however, Rikimaru says he is reviving the art of story-telling which goes back to the 11th century but has been replaced in the modern age by television, movies and now cellphones.

他曾上電視及走遍日本各地表演，打開了相當高的知名度，似乎足以證明他窮14年之力訓練自己的聲音和朗讀技巧並未白費。透過漫畫，東方力丸表示，他要振興日本可上溯到11世紀，但今天已經被電視、電影，甚至手機取代的說書藝術。

Now Japan is mired in recession, with thousands of people losing their jobs. And Rikimaru's life is a sign of the grim reality many millions are facing. The manga reader entertains on weekends for stretches of more than five hours, which earns him around 15,000 yen a day.

如今日本陷入經濟衰退，無數人失業，東方力丸的生活方式是千百萬日本人所要面對的嚴峻現實的跡象。周末漫讀逾五小時，一天可賺15,000日圓。

Despite what appears to be a life of hardship, Rikimaru is refreshingly positive, seeing freedom where others might see destitution and despair. "This is a life that I chose. Although I'm in a miserable situation, I have a place to live and cheap food I can eat," he said. " Photo shows Rikimaru entertaining on the street before his customers in downtown Tokyo on December 20, 2008.

儘管日子似乎並不好過，東方力丸不改其樂，積極面對人生，他珍視自由自在的生活，其他人可能不堪貧困和絕望，但他說：「這是我選擇的人生，雖然我生活環境簡陋，但有地方住，還有便宜的食物果腹。」圖為東方力丸（法新社）去年12月20日在東京市中心街頭為聽眾朗讀漫畫的檔案照。