Program

The World of Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo, a folklore puppetry

Enjoy the world of Kuruma Ningyo and you will discover this tradition not to be difficult but to be easy and approachable.

Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo is a form of puppet theatre created by Koryu Nishikawa around the end of the Edo period. It is called Kuruma Ningyo because the puppeteer sits on a small seat with roller wheels (rokuro-kuruma) and operates the puppet (ningyo). This small seat, and the fact that one person can operate a puppet, distinguishes Kuruma Ningyo from Bunraku, in which three people are needed to operate a puppet. This one-to-one relationship allows great flexibility and realism as the puppet and the puppeteer move in unison. Part 1 is the tragic love story of a beautiful girl. Part 2 is a human drama that shows the feelings of people in the Edo era.

• 
  Koryu Nishikawa
• 
  Irifunetei Senji
• 
  Koshiko Takemoto
• 
  Naoka

• 
  Hidakagawairiaizakura
• 
  Bunshichimottoi

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※The program contents may change.