Bunraku

Bunraku is a traditional Japanese puppet theatre in which three visible puppeteers animate large, articulated puppets while a narrator and shamisen player perform the story.

Ningyōtsukai: The coordinated puppeteering practice in which operators manipulate Bunraku puppets in full view. Its three-person technique gives each puppet expressive movement without concealing its operators.
Jōruri: A Japanese narrative singing tradition accompanied by shamisen, especially associated with puppet theatre. Bunraku’s stories are performed through jōruri chanting and shamisen accompaniment.
The Love Suicides at Sonezaki: A jōruri domestic tragedy by Chikamatsu Monzaemon about two lovers who die together. Its 1703 success helped renew popular interest in puppet theatre.
National Theatre of Japan: A Tokyo performing-arts institution opened in 1966 to present and preserve Japanese traditional theatre. Its Bunraku performances and training programs support the form’s continuity.
Tayū: A chanter who narrates Bunraku dialogue and action, voicing multiple characters. The tayū supplies the story’s voices and emotional shifts alongside the puppets.
Takemotoza: A puppet-theatre company founded in Osaka in 1684 by Takemoto Gidayū. Its productions helped establish the style that became central to Bunraku.
The Battles of Coxinga: A jōruri historical play by Chikamatsu Monzaemon about the Chinese-Japanese hero Coxinga. Its spectacular action and long run demonstrate Bunraku’s capacity for epic drama.
Association for Bunraku Performance: A Japanese organization that produces Bunraku performances and supports the art’s practitioners. It sustains professional performance after the former national company dissolved.
Shamisen: A three-stringed Japanese lute played with a large plectrum. Its live accompaniment shapes the pace and dramatic force of Bunraku scenes.
Takemoto Gidayū: A Japanese chanter who founded the Takemotoza theatre and shaped its jōruri style. His narration and theatre company helped define Bunraku’s formative performance tradition.

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