Bunraku Backstage

Today, I was able to catch the very last day of the exhibition "Bunraku Backstage" at the Japan Society.

Bunraku is a traditional form of puppetry that goes back to Edo-era Japan. A chanter sits to the side of the stage with a musician playing a stringed instrument called a shamisen. The chanter provides both narration and the voices of all of the puppets.

During the feudal period, there were many forms of puppetry in Japan. These various puppet techniques were generally referred to as joruri. During the 19th century a theatre known as Bunraku-za achieved a level of professionalism that set a new standard for the art. Today the National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka preserves the crafts of making and performing these amazing puppets.

A few years ago, I saw the National Bunraku Theatre on tour, performing Chikamatsu's classic play The Love Suicides of Sonezaki. The puppets are surprisingly realistic. Their heads are carved out of a single block of wood by a master craftsmen. The puppeteers then construct the rest of the puppets themselves.

Three puppeteers work together in operating a lead puppet. Only the main puppeteer shows his face, while the other two wear black hoods.  The main puppeteer will wear wooden platform shoes known as butai geta in order to easily operate the head and right hand while the others control the left hand and feet.

It was great to see what all of these puppets look like behind the scenes!