Bunraku Puppetry

Bunraku (文楽) is the traditional puppet theater of Japan. It started as popular entertainment for________.

• The Royal Edo Family

• Commoners during the Edo Period

• Visitors from from foreign lands to Osako

Along with _______, Bunraku is recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

• onigiri and tamiri

• rice and saki

• Noh and Kabuki

Which statement is NOT true about Bunraku puppetry?

• Puppets are about 1/2 life size operated by 3 performers: 1 principal and 2 assistants.Puppeteers are in full view of the audience dressed in black to symbolize that they are to be taken as "invisible".

• Strings are not used, but rather the puppeteers co-operate to maneuver the limbs, eyelids, eyeballs, eyebrows and mouths of the puppets, thereby producing life-like actions and facial expressions.

• U.S. citizens must obtain special permission from the Imperial Government of Japan to attend shows.

How many people narrate the voices?

• 1 Person does all the voices

• 2- 1 for the female voice and another for the male voices

• 3-The triad of voices is called a Japanese Chorus

Bunraku and kabuki often depict stories based on adaptations of scripts with similar themes. Popular themes are...

• Classic tragic love stories, heroic legends and tales based on historical.

• Greek gods interferring in human lives Roman demigods at war.

• Most stories are based on events after WWII

Plays can last an entire day with 5-6 parts in the A.M and the same in the P.M.

• This statement is true

• This statement is false

• Since Bunraku is no longer performed we don't know.

Puppeteers are traditionally men. How long does it takes for him to become a master (main puppeteer)?

• 5 years

• 15 years

• 30 years

Define Shamisen

• a three-stringed instrument, played with a large bone plectrum, accentuates and punctuates the chanted narration as well as the stage action.

• a drum placed in the middle of the stage, which is struck at the end of each act

• a horn that takes a player 30 years to master.

The National Bunraku Theatre is located in...

• Osaka, Japan

• Tokyo, Japan

• Beijing, China

Female Puppets...

• wear kimonos and have no feet

• can only be operated by trained female artists

• can be made in a matter of minutes