'Bunraku', Japanese traditional puppet theater, is considered the most complex and refined form of puppetry world-wide. A chanter delivers the dramatic plot accompanied by traditional instruments, along with remarkably created almost life-size puppets, 'bunraku' has earned UNESCO recognition as a world intangible cultural asset.
'Bunraku' traces its roots to the 15th century when itinerant blind men gathered an audience by relating tales known as 'joruri' based partially on myth and truth. The dramatic plots were narrated to the rhythms of a 'biwa', a traditional Japanese string instrument until a fresh and lighter sound produced by 'shamisen' from Ryukyu (Okinawa) in mid-16th century gained popular acceptance eventually displacing the more ancient instrument. By the late 16th century, a fundamental change came about as puppets were added to the mix and gradually the performances were fused into 'njngyo-joruri' (puppet theater). Simultaneously it was made massively popular by the legendary writer Monzaemon Chikamatsu who penned the heartbreaking love story "Love suicide at Sonezaki" breathing new life into 'bunraku' and forever gaining a place of honour in Japanese culture. 'Bunraku' was originally the name of the theater founded by Bunrakuken Uemura (Edo Period) and by constant association it became synonymous with the performing art itself. A 'bunraku' performance requires the close and artful collaboration of a 'tayu' (chanter), 'shamisen' music and 'ningyo' (puppet).
Jidai-mono
Samurai lore - truth and myth! 'Jidai-mono' recounts events that occurred in medieval days long before the Edo Period. The main roles portray dutiful and loyal warrior classes with its overriding theme usually focusing on power conflicts or historic incidents.
Sewa-mono
Crisis and drama in ordinary lives! 'Sewa-mono' is contemporary to the Edo Era depicting the uneventful yet beautiful lives of ordinary families. The main plot concerns the eternal conflict of love and hate between men and women or tragic events befalling an ordinary family.
Keigoto
Music and dance to feast on! 'Keigoto' is a play entertaining audiences with a series of lively dance sets combined with rhythmic music accompaniment that originated from but became independent from traditional 'noh' theater.
'Bunraku', a sophisticated Japanese traditional art magically created by Sangyo, is a perfect collaboration of three vital elements: 'tayu' (narrator or chanter), 'shamisen' (music accompaniment) and 'ningyo-zukai' (puppeteer). Three components that mesh in perfectly synchronized harmony, imbuing dramatic action and life to erstwhile inanimate wooden puppets.
Shamisen Players 'Shamisen' musicians play the entire music score from memory. 'Futozao', the largest 'shamisen' instrument, is used in 'bunraku' to produce flawless, evocative sounds to arouse audience emotions and add a powerful aura to the stage.
Tayu - the chanter
A 'tayu' recites character dialogues, explains the historic background behind events taking place on stage. Amazingly, the mighty and talented 'tayu' performs all the roles in the story, ranging from young women to old man, each by himself.
'Gidayu-bushi' requires three different kinds of sound effects.
Kotoba: Roles are voiced with no accompanying 'shamisen' music.
Jiai: Cadence together with 'shamisen' to dramatize events and emotions portrayed.
Fushi: Melody and rhythm of a piece resembling singing.
Gidayu-bushi, a style of recitation is based on the Kansai dialect
Gidayu Takemoto, considered a genius 'tayu' formalized the basics of storytelling and created 'gidayu-bushi', remaining to this day the best known puppet practitioner's guild. A native of the Kansai district, the local dialect including accents and intonations used during the Edo Period in Osaka became the standard of a style of recitation in 'gidayu-bushi'.
Ningyo-zukai - Puppeteers
Puppets are manipulated by three puppeteers.
Omo-zukai: The 'omo-zukai' is the stage leader and signal sender in charge of a puppet's head and right arm. To gain the prestige and status of a full-fledged 'omo-zukai' requires 30 to 40 years of study and experience. The 'omo-zukai' tends to wear black to fixate the audience's eyes only on the puppets.
Hidari-zukai: His right hand operates the puppet's left arm.
Ashi-zukai: Puppeteer that manipulates both legs of a character.
Three on one - how do they do it?
The movements of puppets are not rigidly choreographed nor impromptu. Puppeteers use 'kata', that are formalized movements each of which hold certain meanings. 'omo-zukai' sends nonverbal signals known as 'zu' (head) informing others wich 'kata' will follow. Therefore, 'hidari-zukai' and 'ashi-zukai' require a quick response to detect subtle changes in the head's movements. An experienced 'omo-zukai' (lead puppeteer) claims nothing is more satisfying than when puppets move in perfect unison following his signals to the other two puppeteers.
How to move a puppet
Leaning on one's knees Female puppets in general do not have legs. As shown at right, it appears this particular puppet is leaning on a knee, but in reality, her knee is adroitly created by the puppeteer's fist.
Grabbing objects When a puppet holds an object, a puppeteer's finger is inserted inside a ring attached to a hand. The puppeteer's own hands hidden inside the kimono creates the illusion the puppet is doing the holding.
Staging a 'bunraku' spectacle is radically different from other puppet plays seen elsewhere in the world.
Each 'bunraku' puppet is simultaneously manipulated by three puppeteers resulting in three times more people on stage than puppets. Let's discover how exquisitely a 'bunraku' stage is designed on such a grand scale.
Geta 'Omo-zukai' wears stage clogs called 'butai-geta'. Straw mats attached to the sole muffle the sound when the puppeteer moves about the wooden platform. Clogs vary in height from 20 to 50cm depending on the puppet's size that usually range from 130 to 150 cm.
Komaku & Misuuchi
From the point-of-view of the audience, the right-hand side is called 'kamite' (stage left) and conversely the left-hand side 'shimote' (stage right). Puppets make their stage entrance and then leave through the 'komaku' (small black curtains) on either side of the stage. The 'misuuchi' (screened-off rooms) are just above the small curtains set behind bamboo blinds placed so the audience cannot be disturbed by seeing backstage activities. To the audience's right 'misuuchi', are the novice chanters and 'shamisen' players while to the left 'misuuchi', are the members of the 'hayashi' (orchestra), who perform on such instruments as flutes, stick drums, hand drums, and bells, also evoke the prevailing ambiance of the scene by producing sound effects as wind, rain, or the murmurs of a river flowing by.
Funazoko
Behind a 'tesuri', lower than the stage level, is found a 'funazoko' (stage pit) where puppeteers stand positioning puppets to the appropriate level required by the story line.
Tesuri
Using all of the stage, three partitions known as 'tesuri' (railings) can represent a flat surface where a puppet might stand or waves of the sea keeping a ship afloat.
Yuka 'Yuka' is a sub-stage located adjacent to a main stage where the key 'tayu' and 'shamisen' player sit facing the audience. As the scene changes the platform revolves a full 180 degrees and the chanter and musician relinquish the set to the next players.
Backgrounds
A variety of backgrounds are utilized depending on the requirements of the plot. Nature scenery may be painted realistically or sometimes in an abstract manner. In particular, seascapes and waves are often rendered in diverse patterns only limited by the artist's imagination and ingenuity.
The distinctive, wooden head of a puppet, known as 'kashira' is created with an opening underneath its neck. Head parts and bodies are joined by a stick, both ends of which are tied around this hole and others curbed around their shoulders. The trunk of a puppets' body is relatively simple with luffa (dry gourd) material used in order to curve the puppet's shoulders; hands and legs hang from a string attached to their shoulders. In principle, female puppets do not have legs since a Japanese woman's limbs are always hidden within a kimono. Therefore, the 'ashi-zukai' (foot puppeteer) inserts a fist in the hem of the puppet's robe cleverly making it appear as though she has functional feet. Finally, 'sashigane', a long wooden armature attached to the puppet's left hand, allows the left-hand puppeteer to realistically operate the left arm and hand.
Kashira
There are as many as 70 different types of 'kashira' (puppet heads). Puppet creators often recycle by painting new faces while the 'tokoyama', (hair stylist) creates a new coiffure.
Tachiyaku (male) Kashira
Varieties of head types exist to perfectly portray each character's personality. Shapes and colors are expertly combined to match the role's personification.
Bunshichi
Created with deep lines and a bold, masculine face, this head is used for tragic heroes who have long endured overwhelming misfortune and 'angst'.
Kenbishi
Used for supporting roles, a puppet featuring a mouth drawn with a single line portrays a powerful will.
Danshichi
The distinctive 'odanshichi' head portrays the most courageous warriors in stirring historical tales.
Komei
A 'komei' is a brave samurai of refinement, intelligence, dignity, expressing an inner, unfathomable sadness.
Genda
A 'genda' portrays a handsome, sensuous, youngish man.
Onnagata (female) Kashira
The range of choice is limited, for example, the 'kashira' known as 'fukeoyama' represents a female puppet ranging anywhere between 20 and 40 years, thus it depends almost entirely on a puppeteer's innate ability to express age differences.
Fukeoyama 'Fukeoyama' female puppet head used widely in both historical and domestic dramas representing women aged 20 to 40 years.
Musume
Undoubtedly a lovely and charming female head, 'musume' brings to life a chaste young woman or a newly-wed.
O-Fuku
A humorous version of the 'musume' head, that's used for chambermaid or servant girl roles providing comic relief.
Keisei
The most gorgeous of all 'kashira', this head portrays a high-class courtesan, well-educated, sensuous, with self-esteem and considerable resolve.
Special Kashira
A collection of nameless, unusual heads with surprising contraptions most often used for by-stander or minor roles.
Producing a 'Kashira'
Sketch 'Hinoki' wood (Japanese cypress) is normally used for creating puppets. Importantly, the artist must absolutely not miss the center line while sketching facial expressions, so the vital placement of eyes and nose are life-like.
Curbing Once facial lines are drawn, curvatures are created, an extremely difficult task necessary to express the natural swell of muscles hidden beneath the skin. Only a master craftsman can create a puppet masterpiece.
Devices After a successful curbing, the puppet head is split in half. At this stage it is hollowed out to insert moving devices behind to control eyes and eyebrows movements.
Kashira and Dougushi A variety of poses are made possible using a wooden apparatus connected to the 'kashira' (head) and 'dougushi' (neck).
Painting The artist uses finely ground sea-shells mixed with glue and colors to create the puppet's face. 'Kashira' may be reused with a fresh portray.
Costume
Elaborate puppet costumes consist of under garments such as 'juban' (chemise), 'eri' (collar), 'obi' (belt) and covering robes. To make puppets look supple and real, cottons are lightly intertwined within the kimonos (worn by either males or females) that have holes in the back for convenient handling by the puppeteers.
Are these Ninjas on stage?
Of course not! Actually they are called 'kurogo'. Around the world, puppeteers stay out of sight while using strings and other devices to manipulate puppets. In 'bunraku', attired in black, puppeteers are in full view; however, a foreign audience might feel the artists are interfering with their focus. Soon however, as the puppets act and move with a life seemingly of their own, a mesmerized audience begins to wonder who is creating the magic. To satisfy this curiosity, the 'omo-zukai' is seen without any subterfuge.
How to become a performer?
The art of 'bunkaru' is learned through a long and arduous apprenticeship. Candidates with innate ability and purpose survive and carry on a marvelously unique art form as a legacy handed down through generations by past great puppet masters. The National Bunraku Theatre of Japan sponsors the two-year education program that allows 15 to 23 year old male candidates to experience and learn a wide range of subjects, from core basic skills, the rules governing the 'tayu' (chanter), 'shamisen' musician, 'ningyo-zukai' (puppeteer) to traditional tea ceremony, Japanese traditional dance and much more. Exams include music and composition, performance and demonstration, interview and health exam.
Observations and advice from teachers
If you dream of becoming a puppeteer, you must be physically fit and strong as some puppets weigh over 13 kilos (30 lbs). A puppeteer must entertain the audience with the natural flow of a puppet's movements; facial expressions absolutely cannot express physical effort. To be an excellent puppeteer requires creating movement and expression by infusing life to puppets. No matter how much desire and effort there may be, if that special spark of ability isn't seen or sensed, the candidate cannot be admitted to the program.
Where is Bunraku performed?
Osaka's National Bunraku Theatre of Japan is home to a puppeteer troupe belonging to the Bunraku Association, the nation's only full-time performers. Shows are also produced at Tokyo's National Theatre.
Schedule
December Bunraku performance: 12/4 (Tue) - 12/16 (Sun), National Theatre (Tokyo)
Bunraku performance for Beginners: 12/4 (Tue) - 12/16 (Sun), National Theatre (Tokyo)
January Bunraku performance: 1/3 (Thu) - 1/24 (Thu), Bunraku Theatre (Osaka)
Shamisen Players
Female puppets in general do not have legs. As shown at right, it appears this particular puppet is leaning on a knee, but in reality, her knee is adroitly created by the puppeteer's fist.
When a puppet holds an object, a puppeteer's finger is inserted inside a ring attached to a hand. The puppeteer's own hands hidden inside the kimono creates the illusion the puppet is doing the holding.
Staging a 'bunraku' spectacle is radically different from other puppet plays seen elsewhere in the world.
'Hinoki' wood (Japanese cypress) is normally used for creating puppets. Importantly, the artist must absolutely not miss the center line while sketching facial expressions, so the vital placement of eyes and nose are life-like. 
Once facial lines are drawn, curvatures are created, an extremely difficult task necessary to express the natural swell of muscles hidden beneath the skin. Only a master craftsman can create a puppet masterpiece. 
After a successful curbing, the puppet head is split in half. At this stage it is hollowed out to insert moving devices behind to control eyes and eyebrows movements. 
A variety of poses are made possible using a wooden apparatus connected to the 'kashira' (head) and 'dougushi' (neck). 
The artist uses finely ground sea-shells mixed with glue and colors to create the puppet's face. 'Kashira' may be reused with a fresh portray.