Ningyo Johruri Bunraku Puppet Theatre

　　Proclamation: 2003

　　Member State(s): Japan

　　Region: Asia-Pacific

　　Associated themes: Performing arts

　　Ranking along with N? and Kabuki as of one of Japan's foremost traditional stage arts, the Ningyo Johruri Bunraku puppet theatre is a blend of sung narrative, instrumental accompaniment and puppet drama. This theatrical form emerged during the early Edo period (c. 1600) when puppetry was coupled with Johruri, a popular 15th-century narrative genre. The plots related in Ningyo Johruri, as this new form of puppet theatre was known at the time, derived from two principal sources: historical plays set in feudal times (Jidaimono), and contemporary dramas that explored the conflict between affairs of the heart and social obligation (Sewamono).

　　In the mid-17th century, numerous permanent commercial theatres were devoted specifically to puppet performances and Kabuki, and by the mid-18th century, Ningyo Johruri had adopted its characteristic staging style. Three puppeteers, visible to the audience, manipulate large articulated puppets on the stage behind a waist-high screen. From a projecting elevated platform (yuka), the narrator (tayu) recounts the action while a musician provides musical accompaniment on the three-string spike lute (shamisen). The tayu portrays all the characters, both male and female, and assumes different voices and intonations to suit each role and situation. Although the tayu "reads" from a scripted text, there is ample room for improvisation. The three puppeteers must carefully coordinate their movements to ensure that the puppet's gestures and attitudes appear realistic. The impressive puppets, replete with elaborate costumes and individualized facial expressions, are painstakingly handcrafted by master puppet makers. The genre acquired its present full name - Ningyo Johruri Bunraku - in the late 19th century (the Bunrakuza was a leading theatre of the period).