Japan: Bunraku
(Preview clips run 30-90 seconds.)
Found On: Aspects of Drama Part 3: Cultures, Periods, and StylesLength: 00:06:29
Source: two excerpts from the Faces of Japan program “Puppeteers’ Apprentice”
Description:
This pair of excerpts introduces an apprentice studying to be a puppeteer at Bunraku Theater in Osaka, give some background on the history of this Japanese art form, and show Bunraku puppets in action.Suggested Uses:
- Show to introduce a lesson or unit on Bunraku, Japanese culture, or puppetry.
- Show along with segments from the Kabuki video/DVD.
- After viewing the segment, assign or have students choose various other cultures that also have puppetry traditions and have them research those traditions and present their findings to the class. (Many other puppetry arts are discussed in the “Periods and Styles” section of the Drama binder.)