Onomatopoeia:

Japanese has many different onomatopoeia’s to describe sounds and actions. The onomatopoeia’s influence is so strong that there is even a word to describe silence (シーン) . Onomatopoeia serve as an option for speakers to better describe how they are feeling, an event, or sounds. Rakugo stories often poke fun at misunderstandings as a result of using onomatopoeia’s.

Slight changes in the sound can imply a different meaning for example the two onomatopoeia’s: (コロコロ) and (ゴロゴロ)

The only difference between the two are the dots in the second onomatopoeia, sometimes used when referring to something rolling down across a surface. When using the two it may give an impression that the first object is smaller than the second object described with ゴロゴロ.

Japanese Puns だじゃれ：

Puns are a play on words that allow for comic relief through the use of words with the same or similar sounds. These are called だじゃれ in Japanese. Rakugo stories often make use of these puns to introduce a final twist to the story.

In the ねずみ story the pun is an onomatopoeia (ちゅう) of the squeak of a mouse, and also the meaning for the word “medium.” We see the mouse outsmarting both of the speakers to resolve their conflict with a pun. Puns play a significant role in Rakugo. They not only to add an element of humor at the end, but also serve as a way to end conflict, misunderstandings, and bring the story to a conclusion.