A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I visited the Osaka History Museum to see a porcelain art exhibition, but since the museum also had lots of fascinating, historical and cultural displays, I'd like to share them in several journal entries.

The first entry is about bunraku, which originated in Osaka. Bunraku is a Japanese traditional puppet show. Since I moved into Osaka, watching the show in a theater has been on my bucket list. Bunraku was born about 400 years ago and has longer history than kabuki. It's performed by three different elements: shamisen (a traditional Japanese instrument), tayū (narrator), and ningyō (pupetteer). Both kabuki and bunraku are traditionally performed only by men, and women aren't allowed to stand on the same stage.

In the museum, several bunraku puppets were on display. One of my friends used to learn how to make these puppets. She once showed two of her pieces to me. She told me that making just one head took more than three years. She made kimonos for each head and showcased them at home. They absolutely look gorgeous.

The museum offered us the precious experience that visitors could learn how to movie the puppet. Unfortunately, it was dominated by foreign kids.

I've watched kabuki once, but I didn't enjoy it because I didn't understand what performers were saying even in Japanese. I might not fully understand bunraku either, but it seems much more appearing to me. I'd love to watch how the puppets are brought to life on stage.

If you are curious about bunraku, you can get a bit more information here.

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