Add to ORKGPhoto shows bunraku puppet theater in JapanThe art of puppetry in Japan dates back more than a thousand years and can be traced back in different directions (puppeteers, chanters or samisen players). Therefore, tracing the development and history of Bunraku (ningyo joruri) is complicated. An early precursor can be found in the blind itinerant performers (biwa hoshi) who chanted The Tale of Heike (an epic depicting the Taira-Minamoto war) while accompanied by music (biwa, a type of lute). Later, two men can be credited with bringing about the golden age of ningyo joruri: (chanter) Takemoto Gidayu (1651 - 1714) and (dramatist) Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653 - 1725). The familiar term "Bunraku" comes from Bunraku-za, a successful 19th century thea...