Bunraku : Enchanment of Strings

A new month, a new blog. This piece will be significantly distinct from my earlier ones since I'll be discussing a really intriguing chronicle.The blog is about something that used to be a part and parcel of our childhood. So let's find out what it is and what it brings on. 

The first companion I ever had as a kid was a doll. I am sure, you too have made friends with dolls, named everyone of them as your choice and at times spoken thoughts with them. Starting from expensive barbie dolls, stuffed toys to wooden dolls, all of us have made great memories with. And believe it or not, I still have kept each and every doll of mine safely. Even puppet shows still entice us, isn't it? The way they dress, the plot and changing backgrounds, all of it as a whole is so mesmerizing. Talking about puppet shows, different countries have different types of puppetry. For example, Wayang Puppets of Indonesia, Sicilian marionettes of Italy, Mua Roi Nuoc of Vietnam, Punch and Judy of Great Britain and so on. Likewise, Bunraku puppetry is from japan and this blog is all about it. 

Bunraku is a traditional form of Japanese puppet play that employs conventional music and rhythmic chanting. Fortunately, you don't need to know Japanese to enjoy it; bunraku largely focuses on images and sounds to express stories, so anyone of any dialect may appreciate it. The term Bunraku is derived from the name of a group created by puppeteer Uemura Bunrakuken in the early nineteenth century; puppetry is more accurately known as ayatsuri, and puppetry theater as ayatsuri jruri. Japanese audiences have been enthralled by bunraku for ages. Bunraku plays are sometimes referred to as ningyo joruri , which translates to something akin to "puppet lyrical drama."

The eye-catching visual components that support each performance's action are the intricately built wooden puppets. Since the puppeteers are completely covered in black , the audience can see them, but their attention is instead diverted to the realistic dolls they are in control of. Each bunraku puppet is adorned in colourful robes and contains intricate movement components, enabling them to communicate a broad range of emotions, further grabbing the audience's attention. 

The theatrical story is supported by the sounds. Joruri is a combination of chanting—typically performed by an individual narrator—and the melody of the shamisen, a Japanese string instrument resembling a lute. Each scene's speech and ambience are simulated by the blending of this music.

In bunraku performances, tales of bravery, fatal love, and the paranormal stories are told to the audience. Usually, the history and mythology of Japan are the source of these narratives.  Despite the fact that the plays include long-gone eras and customs, they frequently focus on universal human emotions that nevertheless resonate with modern audiences. Bunraku is regarded as a serious art form that is suitable for all ages, in contrast to puppet theatre from other cultures that often caters to children. 

The first puppeteers, or kugutsu-mawashi (literally, "puppet turners"), came in the 11th century. They were itinerant actors whose artistic inspiration may have originated in Central Asia. The puppets remained crude, without hands and feet, until the end of the 17th century. In the seventeenth century, bunraku theater initially appeared in Osaka. Surrounding the city's primary central waterway, the Dotonbori canal, Osaka built a thriving cultural hub to accommodate the numerous travelers passing through. Bunraku is one of the few art forms that was truly developed in the Dotonbori district, where many other art forms, including kabuki, also flourished. 

Bunraku began as a popular pulp sort of entertainment but over time developed into a more sophisticated art form. It became well-known when a writer by the name of Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1724) teamed up with the famous chanter Takemoto Gidayu (1651-1714). In 1684, Takemoto built a puppet theater where he staged innovative plays that enthralled the populace. As the creator of so many popular screenplays during his lifetime, Monzaemon is sometimes referred to as the Shakespeare of Japan.

The height of a bunraku puppet can range from one to four feet, and they are made of wood. The puppets were simply created with their heads, hands, legs, and feet; their entire bodies do not appear actual. These are joined together with string, and a kimono serves as a representation of the torso. Since historically women's bottom parts were totally hidden by their garments, male dolls had legs and feet but female dolls did not. The puppeteers create the majority of the body as well as the clothes.

Since they are often the most intricate parts of each doll, the heads and hands are typically carved by professionals. The eyes blink, the mouth opens and closes, and the eyebrows rise and fall since every part of the head (kashira) can move, the puppets may be expressive. 

For a single character, many heads may occasionally be constructed, and these may be changed during the course of the programme to depict various moods or the aging process.

Depending on the performance, the head could even undergo a complete transformation, changing from, for instance, a human face to a demon's visage. According to the character, the head size changes. In comparison to simple villagers and lesser supporting characters, heroes and strong entities have bigger heads. 

There are three types of  bunraku performers, which are the puppeteers (ningyotsukai), chanters (tayu), and shamisen players. The tayu and guitarist sit on a partition off to the side (called a yuka) while the puppeteers operate on the main stage (hombutai).

To control one puppet, three puppeteers are required, who are often hooded and dressed in all-black attire so as not to draw attention to themselves. Rods protrude from the dolls' backs in place of strings. The term "omozukai" refers to the lead puppeteer. He or she controls the puppet's right hand and face with their right hand. The hidarizukai, or left puppeteer, uses his or her own dominant hand to manipulate the puppet's left hand. The entire lower half is operated by a third puppeteer, the ashizukai. Apprentices physically progress from ashizukai to omozukai from their starting position. This education may need up to 30 years.

The story and passion of the performance are jointly produced by the tayu and shamisen musicians. Usually, a single chanter reads all the parts, but occasionally, there are several narrators. Tayu's vocal range versatility allows them to accurately depict a wide range of characters from various socioeconomic groups, ages, and genders. They do readings from traditional Japanese scripts, therefore subtitles in contemporary Japanese are frequently included to aid with audience comprehension. The shamisen player and the tayu can harmonize and make the joruri when they are seated next to one another. A very amazing sight results from the joruri's flawless synchronization with the puppets' motions.

There are several notable bunraku plays, among them, the one that gained the most popularity is Kanadehon Chushingura. Kanadehon Chushingura, first performed in 1748 at Osaka's Takemotoza theater, represents one of the most enduring masterpieces of bunraku theater. The 11-act work was created by the legendary Chikamatsu Monzaemon shortly after the events upon which it is based and eventually modified by Takeda Izumo II a few decades afterwards. It is a rousing epic tale of devotion and vengeance that has received widespread appreciation as a kabuki performance, ukiyo-e woodblock prints, and a 1962 film feature. 

Scene from Chushingura by Utagawa Kunitera

If you visit Japan and want to experience such amazing puppetry, then Osaka, Tokyo, and Awaji are the places to enjoy bunraku.