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Jan 19, 2024 · Main Genres of Performances: Bunraku, Kabuki, Buyo (traditional Japanese dance), Hogaku (traditional Japanese music), Minzoku Geino (Japanese folk performance), Engei (popular entertainment)Seating Plan
- What's On | Japan Arts Council
Bunraku is a collaborative art synchronizing narrative...
- Japan Arts Council
January 19, 2024 Bunraku The National Bunraku Theatre...
- What's On | Japan Arts Council
- Summary
- Operation
- Style
- Themes
Bunraku (文楽) is the traditional puppet theater of Japan. It started of as popular entertainment for the commoners during the Edo Period in Osaka and evolved into artistic theater during the late 17th century. Along with noh and kabuki, it is recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Bunraku puppets are about one-half life size and each is operated by three performers: a principal operator and two assistants. Strings are not used, but rather the puppeteers co-operate to maneuver the limbs, eyelids, eyeballs, eyebrows and mouths of the puppets, thereby producing life-like actions and facial expressions. The puppeteers are in ful...
The story is narrated by a single person, who also speaks the voice of all the puppets, and therefore must have a diverse repertoire of vocal expressions to represent both genders and all ages. The pace of the narration is dictated by accompanying music played on the shamisen. It is delightful to watch the sophisticated puppets come to life as the ...
Bunraku and kabuki often depict stories based on adaptations of scripts with similar themes. Classic tragic love stories, heroic legends and tales based on historical events are popular.
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A Bunraku performance typically takes around three to four hours. Three puppeteers work as a team to perform these serious and adult dramas. Renowned puppeteer Kiritake Kanjuro explores this extraordinary art through “ Kagamiyama Kokyo no Nishiki-e “, a tale of revenge, and “ Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami” , a historic tragedy.
- Brooke Larsen
- What is Bunraku? © National Theater, Tokyo. Bunraku has captivated Japanese audiences for centuries. Also known as ningyo joruri (人形浄瑠璃), which translates to something like “puppet lyrical drama”, bunraku plays come together though the fusion of visuals and sounds.
- Where Does Bunraku Come From? © Sekino Junichiro, Eizo and Matsu-o-maru - Bunraku, 1956. Bunraku theater first began in Osaka in the 17th century. Osaka in the 1600s was then much like it is today: a bustling merchant city revolving around trade from the major ports.
- What Do Bunraku Puppets Look Like? © National Theater, Tokyo. Bunraku puppets are made of wood and are anywhere between one to four feet in height. The puppets don’t actually have full bodies; only the head, hands, legs, and feet are crafted.
- How does it Work? © National Theater, Tokyo. The three types of bunraku performers are the ningyotsukai (puppeteers), tayu (chanter), and the shamisen player.
Bunraku shares many themes with kabuki. In fact, many plays were adapted for performance both by actors in kabuki and by puppet troupes in bunraku. Bunraku is particularly noted for lovers' suicide plays. The story of the forty-seven rōnin is also famous in both bunraku and kabuki.
May 7, 2019 · Bunraku is one of Japan's traditional performing arts, alongside Kabuki and Noh. With a 300-year long tradition, Bunraku features magnificent puppets and dramatic plots. Learn about bunraku from three top performers and where to watch it.
