For more detailed information on Japanese government policy and other such matters, see the following home pages. Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website http://www.mofa.go.jp/ Web Japan http://web-japan.org/ BUNRAKU Puppet theater brings old Japan to life The puppet theater unraku is Japan’s professional puppet of the operators make the puppet characters stage B theater. Developed primarily in the 17th and their stories come alive on stage. The bunraku (puppet and 18th centuries, it is one of the four forms theater) stage is specially constructed of Japanese classical theater, the others being History of Bunraku to accommodate kabuki, noh, and kyogen. The term bunraku three-person puppets. The puppeteers operate comes from Bunraku-za, the name of the only Already in the Heian period (794–1185), from a pit behind a railing commercial bunraku theater to survive into at the front of the stage. itinerant puppeteers known as kugutsumawashi © Degami Minoru the modern era. Bunraku is also called ningyo traveled around Japan playing door-to- joruri, a name that points to its origins and door for donations. In this form of street essence. Ningyo means “doll” or “puppet,” entertainment, which continued up through and joruri is the name of a style of dramatic the Edo period, the puppeteer manipulated narrative chanting accompanied by the three- two hand puppets on a stage that consisted stringed shamisen. of a box suspended from his neck. A number Together with kabuki, bunraku developed of the kugutsumawashi are thought to have as part of the vibrant merchant culture of settled at Nishinomiya and on the island of the Edo period (1600–1868). Despite the use Awaji, both near present-day Kobe. In the of puppets, it is not a children’s theater. 16th century, puppeteers from these groups Many of its most famous plays were written were called to Kyoto to perform for the by Japan’s greatest dramatist, Chikamatsu imperial family and military leaders. It was Monzaemon (1653–1724), and the great skill around this time that puppetry was combined BUNRAKU 1 with the art of joruri. A precursor of joruri can be found in Three-person puppet Three people manipulate the blind itinerant performers, called biwa a single puppet. The lead hoshi, who chanted The Tale of the Heike, a puppeteer (at left) supports the puppet with his left military epic depicting the Taira-Minamoto hand and operates the War, while accompanying themselves on the puppet’s right hand with his biwa, a kind of lute. In the 16th century, the right hand. One assistant operates the left hand and shamisen replaced the biwa as the instrument the other, the legs. of choice, and the joruri style developed. The © Degami Minoru name joruri came from one of the earliest and of puppet play, the domestic drama (sewa- most popular works chanted in this style, mono), which brought new prosperity to the the legend of a romance between warrior Takemotoza. Only one month after a shop Minamoto no Yoshitsune and the beautiful clerk and a courtesan committed double Lady Joruri. suicide, Chikamatsu dramatized the incident The art of puppetry combined with in The Love Suicides at Sonezaki. The conflict chanting and shamisen accompaniment grew between social obligations (giri) and human in popularity in the early 17th century in Edo feelings (ninjo) found in this play greatly (now Tokyo), where it received the patronage moved audiences of the time and became a of the shogun and other military leaders. central theme for bunraku. Many of the plays at this time presented the Domestic dramas such as Chikamatsu’s adventures of Kimpira, a legendary hero series of love-suicide plays became a favorite renowned for his bold, outlandish exploits. It subject for the puppet theater. Historical was in the merchant city of Osaka, however, dramas, however, also continued to be that the golden age of ningyo joruri was popular, and became more sophisticated as inaugurated through the talents of two men: audiences came to expect the psychological tayu (chanter) Takemoto Gidayu (1651–1714) depth found in the domestic plays. One and the playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon. example of this is Kanadehon Chushingura, After he opened the Takemotoza puppet perhaps the most famous bunraku play. Based theater in Osaka in 1684, Gidayu’s powerful on the true story of the 47 ronin (masterless chanting style, called gidayu-bushi, came to samurai) incident of 1701–1703, it was first dominate joruri. Chikamatsu began writing staged 47 years later in 1748. After drawing historical dramas (jidai-mono) for Gidayu his sword in Edo castle in response to insults in 1685. Later he spent more than a decade by the Tokugawa shogun’s chief of protocol writing mostly for kabuki, but in 1703 (Kira Yoshinaka), the feudal lord Asano Chikamatsu returned to the Takemotoza, Naganori was forced to commit suicide and and from 1705 to the end of his life he wrote his clan was disbanded. The 47 loyal retainers exclusively for the puppet theater. There has carefully plotted and carried out their revenge been much debate as to why Chikamatsu by killing Kira nearly two years later. Even turned to writing for kabuki and then returned though many years had elapsed since the to bunraku, but this may have been the result incident, playwrights still changed the time, of dissatisfaction with the relative position of location, and character names in order to the playwright and actor in kabuki. Famous avoid offending the Tokugawa shogun. This kabuki actors of the day considered the play popular play was soon adapted to the kabuki raw material to be molded to better display stage and continues to be an important part their own talents. of both repertoires. In 1703, Chikamatsu pioneered a new kind Throughout the 18th century, bunraku BUNRAKU 2 developed in both a competitive and Puppet heads cooperative relationship with kabuki. At the Heads are 15–20 individual role level, kabuki actors imitated centimeters long and of the distinctive movements of bunraku puppets some 70 types. Shown here is the keisei head used for and the chanting style of the tayu, while high-class courtesan roles. puppeteers adapted the stylistic flourishes © Degami Minoru of famous kabuki actors to their own are often referred to by the name of the role performances. At the play level, many bunraku in which they first appeared. works, especially those of Chikamatsu, were The omozukai (principal operator) inserts adapted for kabuki, while lavish kabuki-style his left hand through an opening in the back productions were staged as bunraku. of the costume and holds the head grip. With Gradually eclipsed in popularity by kabuki, his right hand he moves the puppet’s right from the late 18th century bunraku went into arm. Holding a large warrior puppet can be commercial decline and theaters closed one by an exercise in endurance since they weigh up one until only the Bunraku-za was left. Since to 20 kilograms. The left arm is operated by World War II, bunraku has had to depend the hidarizukai (first assistant), and the legs are on government support for its survival, operated by the ashizukai (second assistant), although its popularity has been increasing who also stamps his feet for sound effects and in recent years. Under the auspices of the to punctuate the shamisen rhythm. For female Bunraku Association, regular performances puppets, the ashizukai manipulates the lower are held today at the National Theater in part of the kimono to simulate leg movement. Tokyo and the National Bunraku Theater in In Chikamatsu’s day, puppets were Osaka. Bunraku performance tours have been operated by one person; the three-man puppet enthusiastically received in cities around the was not introduced until 1734. Originally this world. single operator was not seen on stage, but for The Love Suicides at Sonezaki, master puppeteer Puppets and Performance Tatsumatsu Hachirobei became the first to work in full view of the audience. One-half to two-thirds life-size, bunraku Today all three puppeteers are out on stage puppets are assembled from several in full view. The operators usually wear black components: wooden head, shoulder board, suits and hoods that make them symbolically trunk, arms, legs, and costume. The head has invisible. A celebrity in the bunraku world, the a grip with control strings to move the eyes, principal operator often works without the mouth, and eyebrows. This grip is inserted black hood and in some cases even wears a into a hole in the center of the shoulder brilliant white silk robe. board. Arms and legs are hung from the Like the puppeteers, the tayu and the shoulder board with strings, and the costume shamisen player were originally hidden from fits over the shoulder board and trunk, from the audience but, in a new play in 1705, which a bamboo hoop is hung to form the Takemoto Gidayu chanted in full view of hips. Female puppets often have immovable the audience, and in 1715 both the tayu faces, and, since their long kimono completely and shamisen player began performing on a cover the lower half of their bodies, most do special elevated platform at the right of the not need to have legs. stage, where they appear today. The tayu There are about 70 different puppet heads has traditionally had the highest status in a in use. Classified into various categories, such bunraku troupe. As narrator, he creates the as young unmarried woman or young man of atmosphere of the play, and he must voice all great strength, each head is usually used for a parts, from a rough bass for men to a high number of different characters, although they falsetto for women and children.