Bunraku Theatre

What is Bunraku?

A Japanese puppet theater, founded in the 17th century (1600s).

WHERE IS JAPAN?

HERE WE ARE!!

JAPAN!!

Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre:

The puppets are large = 1/2 life size.

Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre (cont.):

Takes up to 3 puppeteers to operate 1 puppet.

The head puppeteer

operates the head and right

arm.

The two lower

ranked puppeteers operate the left arm and

legs.

Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre (cont.):

Musicians played an important role in the play.

There were 2 people to the side of the

stage:

One was the storyteller/

chanter.

The storyteller chants the story and

assumes the voices of each puppet.

Characteristics of Bunraku Theatre (cont.):

Shamisen Player

Music was used to

support the action and set

the mood required by a special play or

scene.

Bunraku Theatres

Structure of the Stage

STAGE

Shamisen Player and

Chanter

Stage View close up

Structure of the stage

The heads

They are even repainted to give the right skin tone, or the wig might be changed.

PUPPET CHARACTERISTICS:

Same head might be used for different characters in different plays.

Mechanism of the Puppets' Heads

•By moving the fingers of his left hand, the levers attached to the

stick in the doll's neck.

•If he moves the special little lever that is attached to the head with the

strings, the puppet's head can be made to nod up and down in time to

the shamisen music.

•The movement of the eyes, eyebrows, and mouth of the puppet heads is achieved

by the main puppeteer.

Types of Heads

Different male role Heads

Female Heads

Special Roles

Puppet Costumes

Puppeteers take part in what is called the dressing of the doll.

What makes Banraku Different from American Puppet Story Telling?

It sometimes takes a whole day for its long, serious drama to unfold.

In Bunraku, the puppeteers (or manipulators) appear openly, in full view of the audience.

Our puppets are a lot smaller in size.

AMERICAN PUPPETRY

AMERICAN PUPPETRY

Snuggles fabric softenerSalem and Sabrina

Captain Kangaroo and Mr. Moose (1955 – 1985)

Read Between the Lions

BUNRAKU NOTES:1. A Japanese puppet theater, founded in the 17th

century (1600s).

2. The puppets are 1/2 life size.

3. It takes up to 3 people to operate one puppet.

4. There were 2 people on the side of the stage who enhanced the story:

a. Chanter/storyteller b. Musician