Bunraku+Puppetry

BU﻿NRAKU: ﻿ ﻿Was founded in Osaka in 1684 and is a traditional japanese form of puppetry theatre.

__HISTO ﻿ RY: ﻿ __  //Joruri// and the //joruri gidayu-bushi//, or //joruri// narrative singing was established by Takemoto Gidayu (1651-1724) and is a special form of vocal music. It was divided into two categories: // utai (//or singing) and //katari// (reciting and chanting). The difference between them is that //utai// had definite melodies, rhythms and tempo, on the other hand, the main emphasis of //katari// was on explaining the plot. //Katari// took the tale-chanting style of //heikyoku// ―the chanting of the // Tales of the Heike // to//biwa// (a lute-like instrument). The //joruri// performers evolved from //Katari// and became highly popular. The name //joruri// comes from a medieval story called the "Tale of Princess Joruri and the Twelve Guardian Deities". This was because the art became so popular that it began to be used to chant other tales as well. In around the mid-sixteenth century, the //sanshin// was brought to Japan from the Ryukyuan kingdom of Okinawa, and it was later developed into the //shamisen// (like a three-stringed banjo) that came to be used in the performances. This caused //joruri// to make rapid progress musically. It was at the end of the sixteenth century that this shamisen music was first used in the puppet theatre, with strung marionettes.

__STAGE SET-UP: __ ﻿ ﻿The stage of Bunraku theatre is set up in 3 different styles:
 * 1) ﻿The Musicians Stage (//Yuka//)
 * 2) The Partitions (T//esuri//) and The Pit (//Funazoko//)
 * 3) Small Curtain (//Komaku//) and Screened-off Rooms (//Misuuchi//)[[image:stage.jpg width="373" height="239" align="right" caption="Bunraku Theatre Stage Outline"]]

__<span style="color: #12821f; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">THE PUPPETS: <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">﻿ __<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> The puppets of Bunraku are different from many other puppets around the world. It takes three 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. Thus, if these three puppeteers do not all work together in perfect harmony, the puppet's motions will seem unnatural and fall apart, and thus the doll will never seem to come to life.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%; line-height: normal;">- The Head: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: normal;"> the puppets heads are divided into male or female. Later they are classified into categories, such as age, social class and personality traits. The eyes, nose, eyebrows and lips are all manipulated by the main puppeteer.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 140%; line-height: normal;">- The Wig: <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: normal;">﻿ the wigs of the puppets are called //Kazura// and have a different number of styles depending on the characteristic of the puppet. The type of hair that is mostly used is commonly always mostly human hair.