Puppet Traditions around the Globe

The world of puppetry in the United States is primarily used for children enjoyment only. Around the world puppetry we find it more sophisticated that entertain adults and children alike. There are some many countries that use the puppetry that I decided on Japanese Bunraku Puppet Theatre. Bunraku is the traditional puppet theatre of Japan, a high-level stage art. Bunraku was originally the name of the theatre in which this puppet drama was performed, but gradually it came to be used as the name of the art itself. The art only came to be known as "Bunraku" around the end of the Meiji era (1868-1912). Bunraku's world renown stems not only from its high-quality artistic technique, but also from the high level of its joruri music and the unique nature of manipulating the puppets―each puppet requires three puppeteers to bring it to life. Bunraku, the manipulators appear openly, in full view of the audience. These two characteristics, which make it completely different from the other puppet theatre traditions around the world, can be said to be the reason that Bunraku is called the most highly developed puppet theatre art in the world. The puppets of Bunraku are different from all other puppets around the world in that it requires 3 puppeteers to manipulate each doll. The three puppeteers are: the omo-zukai, or head puppeteer, who operates the doll's head and face by holding a stick with levers in his left hand, and with his own right hand also operates the doll's right hand; the hidari-zukai, or left-hand puppeteer, who uses his right hand to operate the doll's left hand; and the ashi-zukai, or foot puppeteer, who uses both hands to suggest the movements of the doll's legs and feet. The puppeteers are cloaked in black, with black head coverings over their faces, but are still visible manipulating the puppets.

Only the master puppeteers show their faces. They perform wearing formal kimonos.

This picture show the 3 puppeteers to manipulate a doll  

Next to the puppeteers comes the joruri performer. He is the great story teller and singer. The joruri narrator recites the story in a mixture of chanting and emotional telling. Narrators must have a strong voice and be able to get emotions across to the audience. Good narrators can create dozens of teary eyes or a big laugh in the audience in no time. Next to the joruri narrator sits the shamisen player - another indispensable element of bunraku. The shamisen is an old traditional Japanese string instrument. It looks like a fancy three-string guitar and is pretty long. The shamisen music is more than just some background entertainment. It has a similar function like the orchestra in an European opera. The music supports the action and the mood required by a special play or scene. The narrator and the shamisen player must be a good team. The harmony of their performance is important.

The Structure of the Stage

  

This is the stage upon which the Bunraku is performed. It thrusts out into the audience area at the front right portion of the seats.

Bunraku plays develop through the chanting of gidayu-bushi.  The chanter not only recites the dialogue for all the characters, but also relates the spectacle of the scene and explains the background behind the event taking place.

With the Japanese welcoming Western forms of theatrical art and developing their own "modern" theater, Bunraku fared poorly in the competition to attract audiences. After Japan's defeat in World War II,  and in the early 1960s it tottered on the verge of commercial extinction. Bunraku survived largely with government support and the establishment of the National Theater in Tokyo and the National Bunraku Theater in Osaka. In later years few youngsters are willing to endure the many years of training needed to acquire the skills of a professional. Traditionally, a puppeteer must spend 10 years operating the legs and 10 years the left arm before he may become a principal operator. Bunraku may enjoy a mild revival because of a new appreciation of tradition among younger Japanese, but its future is uncertain.

Felner, Mira, and CLAUDIA Orenstein. The World of Theatre:tradition and innovation. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc, 2006. Print.

      web-japan.org/museum/bunraku/about_bu.html

      www.sagecraft.com/puppetry/definitions/Bunraku.hist.html