Shōten is a Japanese comedy television program that premiered on Nippon Television in 1966. It is especially known for its ōgiri segment, where rakugo performers give witty answers to prompts while seated on cushions. The program’s instrumental theme was composed by Hachidai Nakamura and became closely identified with its Sunday-evening broadcasts. Decades of regular television exposure made the melody familiar across Japan, while online clips and edits helped it reach newer audiences. It remains useful as shorthand for rakugo, wordplay, and traditional variety-show comedy.