An empirical crosscultural data analysis of a storytelling spectacle in Japan, rakugo, has been conducted to evaluate the role that the prosody plays in humour. It has been found that laughing effects depended on the interaction of prosodic features and dialectal markers as well as the audience’s reaction in storytellers' discourse. That is, the prosodic account to explain the humorous value of performance could be in conjunction with other socio-cultural factors.