How To Die In Japan: Your Normal Is Not My Normal

Your Normal Is Not My Normal.

We all think we know the "right" way to behave—until we step into someone else’s family.

On May 2nd and 3rd, Moth Champion Miyo invites you back into her world for How To Die In Japan. Through sharp cross-cultural wit and wry humor, Miyo contrasts the meticulous customs of Japan with the "casual chaos" of American life.

Whether you're navigating Japanese funeral etiquette or just trying to survive your own family's eccentricities, this show is a reminder that our differences are what make our stories worth telling. Featuring live music by Michael D. Mortilla, this returning show is a love letter to the preparation for death and the celebration of life.

Learn more at https://miyo.net/how-to-die-in-japan/

Larry Hankin

https://miyo.net

Born and raised in Japan, Miyo is a dynamic storyteller, comedian, and show curator who blends humor and heart to explore identity, culture, and human connection. A Moth StorySLAM champion (and featured performer at the inaugural Moth LA StorySLAM Showcase in 2023), Miyo is also the Ojai Storytelling Festival Story Slam winner (2025) and a featured storyteller for the Storytelling Association of California's Showcase at the 2025 Bay Area Storytelling Festival. From solo shows to comedy stages, Miyo has performed all over Los Angeles and entertained audiences globally, delivering captivating performances that leave people laughing, reflecting, and seeing the world in new ways.

Jane Morris is the Johnny Appleseed of comedy clubs, having opened the Chicago Comedy Showcase, the Second City ETC, Upfront Comedy, the Comedy Underground and currently managing the FanaticSalon in Culver City. She has most recently been seen in Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Shameless, I Am the Night, and opposite Meryl Streep in The Laundromat.

She teaches writing for performance workshops every Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and performs live at the FanaticSalon on a very regular basis.

Michael D. Mortilla is an award winning composer and sound designer. His extensive work in New York theater and years working directly with Martha Graham informs his attention to narrative, movement, and expression. Largely self-taught, Michael received his teaching license from the City of New York Public Schools and was faculty/resident composer at UC Santa Barbara for 14 years. Mr. Mortilla regularly composes and performs for the Academy of Motion Pictures. Other commissions are from Sony/Columbia Pictures, The Chicago Symphony, the Olympics, the National Film Preservation Foundation, Severin Films, and others.

Writer, Producer, Scholar. Named after the transgressive actress Marlene Dietrich. Raised in the Tennessee Williams South. New Yorker at heart, Angeleno by fate, she has performer her original works on both coasts, Minneapolis, Paris, and the Arctic Circle. Currently a producer with the monthly storytelling show Strong Words. Author of the forthcoming, “Museum of Safekeeping.” Finder her in INSTA @marleneondrea | www.strongwordslive.com

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The FanaticSalon Theater | Culver City Comedy Club, 3815 Sawtelle Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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