National Bunraku Theater
The National Theater makes its triumphant arrival in New York City for the first time in 32 years! Witness a stunning production of traditional Japanese puppet theater, featuring two quintessential climaxes from bunraku repertoire: Date Musume Koi no Higanoko (Oshichi, the Greengrocer’s Daughter) and Sonezaki Shinju (The Love Suicides at Sonezaki). Known for its globally influential three-person puppet manipulation technique invented in the mid-18th century, bunraku has been designated as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Featuring scenography by Kazuo Oga, art director of classic Studio Ghibli anime My Neighbor Totoro and Princess Mononoke, this performance offers Americans a rare opportunity to glimpse the rich culture not only of bunraku, but of Japan’s second-largest city ahead of Expo 2025, held in Osaka. This stunning art form honors the past while sharing stories that connect to the present.
Presented with Wesleyan University Center for the Arts
The U.S. tour of National Bunraku Theater is produced by Japan Society under partnership with National Theater (Japan Arts Council), which is supported, in part, by Japan Cultural Expo 2.0, All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd., Kikkoman Corporation, and Suntory Holdings Limited.