Bunraku broadens appeal with anime stage art
SPONSORED CONTENT
OCTOBER 27, 2025
Bunraku is a traditional performance art in which the narrator (tayu), shamisen player and puppeteers combine their mastery — cultivated over decades of training — to breathe life into otherwise lifeless puppets...
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Bunraku puppets act out the Tenjin Shrine forest scene from “The Love Suicides at Sonezaki.” | TOMOKO OGAWA -
Bunraku puppets cross a stage with a newly added anime backdrop at a U.S. performance in October 2024, accompanied by musicians and narrators (right). | TOMOKO OGAWA -
Ohatsu, the heroine of “The Love Suicides at Sonezaki” | TOMOKO OGAWA -
Anime artist Kazuo Oga works on a background scene for the famed bunraku play “The Love Suicides at Sonezaki.” | TOMOKO OGAWA -
Banners hang from the venue for a bunraku show in October 2024 at the theater in the Japan Society building in New York. | TOMOKO OGAWA -
Tatsuhiro Kanda | ARK COMMUNICATIONS -
‘The Love Suicides at Sonezaki,’ Tenjin Shrine forest scene
Japan Cultural Passport
SPONSORED CONTENT
OCTOBER 27, 2025
It’s time to wander the wonders of Japan. Visitors can discover the deep aesthetic regard that’s prevalent in every art exhibit. Learn about the stories lurking in their details and the harmonious relationship...
