- Bunraku
- Other Theater
Bunraku Performances for Beginners
Bunraku Performances for Beginners 2024 in the New National Theatre, Tokyo
Venue :The New National Theatre, Tokyo (THE PIT)
Performance Dates
Sep. 7(Sat.) - 22(Sun.), 2024
*No Performance on 13 (Fri.)
○:Bunraku Performance for Beginners
◎:Bunraku Performance for Beginners (Evening)
☆:Discover BUNRAKU (With English guidance.)
Running Time : Approx. 2 hours 20 minutes
Datemusume Koi no Higanoko
An introduction to Bunraku
Natsumatsuri Naniwa Kagami
Ticket Prices(tax included)
Student =1,800 yen
Adult = 6,000 yen
Seating plan
*Subtitles: Avaiable in English. Please download the application to your smartphone or tablet.
*There will be intermission.
Click here to find the details about how to buy tickets.
Booking Opens
Aug.14(Wed.), 2024
* If there are still tickets available for purchase on the day of the event, you may purchase them in person at the Box Office for this performance.
Box Office (on-site) : Open from 10:30 AM until each curtain time.
*Tickets for students and persons with disabilities for this performance are available online.
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Box Office (by phone)
0570-07-9900 (From overseas: +81-3-3230-3000) in Japanese and English
(10:00AM - 6:00PM)
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in Japanese
Bunraku, the puppet show with a history of more than 300 years, is one of the traditional performing arts representing Japan and registered as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Bunraku consists of three elements: tayū or the narrator; a shamisen player adding color to the piece with a beautiful musical performance; and the puppeteers who manipulate a single puppet as a team of three while breathing life into the character. With the psychological descriptions of the characters and the impressive drama unfolding on the stage, both of which remain unchanged even today, Bunraku is truly a “puppet show for adults” that timelessly appeals to the audience. We invite you to please enjoy our Bunraku Performance for Beginners – a performance demonstrating the charms of Bunraku accompanied by the commentary “An Introduction to Bunraku.” You are sure to enjoy these prominent Bunraku masterpieces!
Datemusume Koi no Higanoko
Hinomiyagura
Oshichi, a daughter of a greengrocer, finally gets the sword that she is so desperate to deliver to her lover during the night. However, she cannot do this because it’s already midnight and the wooden gate of the town is closed. Suddenly, Oshichi reckons she can open the gate by ringing the fire alarm bell of the fire watchtower. She is aware that if her lie is exposed, she will be arrested for a felony offense. Oshichi, however, makes up her mind to do it because of her desire to please her lover.
The vivid appearance of the puppet, who climbs the ladder of the fire watchtower just like a human being, with hair disheveled in the thickly falling snow, will strike the hearts of everyone the audience. Please focus on the motions of the puppet expressing Oshichi’s devoted love and her impatience.
An introduction to Bunraku in English
So that you can further enjoy the Bunraku performances, a performer will explain the techniques and charms of Bunraku, a traditional Japanese performing art that has more than 300 years of history. This is a segment unique to the Bunraku Performance for Beginners.
Natsumatsuri Naniwa Kagami
Tsurifune Sabu-uchi / Nagamachi-ura
Determined to help his benefactor Isonojō, Danshichi harbors Isonojō and his lover Kotoura in the house of his friend Sabu. Sabu and Otatsu, the wife of Danshichi’s sworn brother, also consider various ways to protect Isonojō at all costs. When they arrive at an agreement, Giheiji, Danshichi’s father-in-law, appears and takes away Kotoura, saying he will take her to Danshichi. Just after the two leave, Danshichi shows up and has no idea what is going on. Assuming that his greedy father-in-law abducted Kotoura for money, he storms out of the house. This is the eve of the shrine summer festival; the tones of the festival music can be heard. Finally, Danshichi catches up with the two. He does his utmost to persuade Giheiji into releasing Kotoura…what will happen next?
The summer festival symbolized by the festival music conveys the atmosphere of the street life of Osaka at the time. In the climactic scene of the scuffle between Danshichi and Giheiji, the tense atmosphere reaches its peak to where the audience can even hear the breathing of the performers. We invite you to enjoy this piece full of the charm of Bunraku – such as the lines read alternately by two tayū, the vigorous sounds of the shamisen and the dynamic run (Danshichi-bashiri) by the puppet, who takes one long stride forward and then starts running while swinging its arms back and forth.