Puppetry and Kabuki

In Japanese theatre history kabuki and the puppet theatre are closely connected. Throughout its history kabuki has borrowed plays as well as acting techniques from the jōruri puppet tradition, and some of the most famous pieces are staged by both traditions.

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7th month, 1852. Ashiya Dōman Ōuchi Kagami (ARC database)

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Puppetry in Japan is generally collapsed onto the form now called Bunraku, the tradition of three-puppeteer acting and jōruri narration accompanied by the shamisen. However, there have been other forms of puppetry in Japan, including those that bridge between the spaces of entertainment and the spaces of ritual.