bunraku

[ boon-rah-koo ]

noun

, (sometimes initial capital letter)

1. a form of Japanese puppet theater in which puppeteers, dressed in black and visible to the audience, manipulate large puppets to the accompaniment of a chanted narration and musical instruments.

bunraku

/ bʊnˈrɑːkuː /

noun

1. a Japanese form of puppet theatre in which the puppets are usually about four feet high, with moving features as well as limbs and each puppet is manipulated by up to three puppeteers who remain onstage

Word History and Origins

Origin of bunraku¹

1915–30; < Japanese, from the Bunraku ( -za ), an Osaka theater of 1789–1801, literally, literature enjoyment (theater) < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese wén + lè

Word History and Origins

Origin of bunraku¹

C20: Japanese

Example Sentences

Form and content are inextricably bound in a musical that melds elements of Kabuki and Bunraku with the rhythms of American musical theater.

From Los Angeles Times

After Grigorian knelt to wait, she smiled at her son, played by an affecting bunraku puppet.

From New York Times

In the tradition of the Bunraku puppeteers of Japan, the Michael K puppets are brought alive by the energies of three people.

From BBC

“Kubi” features a star-studded cast, including Hidetoshi Nishijima, marking his return to a Kitano film since the 2002 “Dolls,” which was inspired by traditional Bunraku puppet theater, as well as Ryo Kase, who appeared in Kitano’s “Outrage” gangster series.

From Washington Times

With an aesthetic that is whimsical but not twee, McDermott and his fellow performers — David Emmings, Avye Leventis and Sarah Wright — conjure a shadow play of “In the Night Kitchen,” a fantasia that transforms briefly into a silhouette of Glass at the keyboard, and bring to life additional characters with, for example, surprisingly human sheets of tissue paper and bunraku puppetry.

From New York Times