Japanese Bunraku puppets

Bunraku is Japan's professional puppet theater. Developed primarily in the 17th and 18th centuries, it is one of the four forms of Japanese classical theater, the others being kabuki, noh, and kyogen. The term bunraku comes from Bunraku-za, the name of the only commercial bunraku theater to survive into the modern era. Bunraku is also called ningyo joruri, a name that points to its origins and essence. Ningyo means "doll" or "puppet," and joruri is the name of a style of dramatic narrative chanting accompanied by the three-stringed shamisen. This exhibition from a show in Kyoto...

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Bunraku
• Japan
• puppets
• Kyoto

[loltehinternet]

Oh yeah I heard about this stuff. Didn't some us admiral watching the play, like, fall in love with the puppet and like send it flowers and stuff?

[blehhh13]

that was freakin awesome!

[denkouchoujin]

This is what ninjas do when they're not on missions.

[CrissySnow]

i hope japanese culture doesnt die out... what a great nation really

[HeilEvilCupCake]

i was listening to "i got no strings" while watching this. it goes along quite nicely.

[oliviaairedale]

Check it

[oliviaairedale]

Whoa, I did a puppet thing too. Called Mostrich dancing to Dynamite

[MegaGamerD]

its cool and all but... its kinda creeps me out

[shane7734]

I'm scared that's creapy

[chocachoya]

thx this really helps me in class

[NerdyGeekyGirl]

@spaz9i2 - This is because the one who isn't cloaked is the "Master" puppeteer .. It takes a lot of training to handle these puppets - a whole lifetime, and only Masters in the art of Bunraku are able to be un-cloaked.... apprentices MUST be cloaked at all times. Masters handle the head, torso, and Right arm, while two apprentices handle the left arm and the feet.(the least experienced handling the feet)

I hope this answers your question. =)

[spaz9i2]

Can someone pls help to clarify: Why is the main puppeteer not face-cloaked? While his assistant who comes on only later to help with the sleeves dons a black face-veil..