Welcome to the Theatre

June 26, 2014

What is Japanese puppet theatre? - Fun with puppets for the family during summer

Yuuichi Nakajima, National Bunraku Theatre

Bunraku Puppet theatre is a traditional art with roots in Osaka. A narrator and a three-stringed guitar-like instrument (shamisen) is used to perform the gidayu ballad drama, with three puppeteers manipulating the puppets on stage, all combining to tell a story. This performance art is on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

The National Bunraku Theatre is a National Theatre established in Osaka in 1984, and welcomed its 30th anniversary this year. As the name suggests, the Theatre mainly stages puppet theatre, but other performing arts such as dance, traditional Japanese music, chanting of Buddhist hymns, and other dramatic performances are staged here. There are three bunraku puppet theatre shows per day during the summer break. A family-oriented program is scheduled for the morning performance, and I would like to introduce this program to you.

Most bunraku performances were created during the Edo Period and are geared towards adults. In the family-oriented program, we pick performances that can be appreciated as a family, as well as creating all-new performances. This summer, we will be showing the popular story "Journey to the West" and a new story called "Thunder Drums."

The story of the "Journey to the West" follows Son Goku and his meeting with Sanzouhoushi, their encounter with Chohakkai, and finally, the battle with the demon Ginkaku.

Son Goku was serving a punishment for a wrong he committed, when he decided to accompany Sanzouhoushi to India. Deep in the mountains and on their way to India, Sanzou and Goku met a mother and her beautiful daughter living with her cousin, Chogohachi. In reality, these three were set on disrupting the journey to India.

Enjoy the rest of this fast-paced story and spectacular scenes when you see the show for yourself!

"Thunder Drums" is a newly-written play by Sadao Osada, a traditional comic storyteller, who has collaborated with the Sengoro Shigeyama family of kyogen (Noh-farce) fame.

One day, a lightening named Torokichi falls on the house of a Japanese drum expert, a few days before the Tenjin Festival. Torokichi desperately wants to win the Japanese drum competition held high above the clouds on the day of the festival, but he is not good with drums. With just a few days to go, the expert drumming family, including the son Tora, help to train Torokichi. Can Torokichi complete the training and return above the clouds to win the competition?

This comical story will also give you a taste of what summer is like in Osaka.

The family theatre program also features a chance to try your hand at manipulating the puppets on stage. We will announce the opportunity on stage on the day of the performances so please raise your hand if you are interested in trying your hand at puppeteering! There is a lot packed into this program, but the total performance time is about two hours, so you don't have to worry about being bored.

Additionally, the matinee performance features famous masterpieces, while the evening performance features works by Monzaemon Chikamatsu as a summer late show. Why don't you come have a taste of Japanese puppet theatre with your family during the summer?