What's Bunraku?

Bunraku is a kind of Japanese puppet theater. It's one of the three major forms of traditional Japanese theater, along with Kabuki and Noh. Bunraku dates from the seventeenth century. It features a special kind of accompaniment. There's shamisen music. And there's a reciter who sings or chants both the story line and the lines for each character in the play.

What kind of puppets are used?

The Bunraku puppets are special. Each one is between three and five feet high. The heads are made very skillfully. On some, the eyes and mouth can open and close, and the eyebrows can move.

What about the puppeteers?

Each puppet is manipulated by three puppeteers. One person manipulates the head and right arm, another, the left arm, and another, the feet. The puppeteers wear black hoods to cover their heads and faces, so as not to distract from the dolls.