A scene from a traditional Bunraku performance in Kyoto.

I’ve been a huge fan of Bunraku ever since I visited Japan in the late 1990s. I love the craftsmanship of the puppets and the elegant beauty of the performances, especially the way many traditional puppeteers put a heavy emphasis on intricate movement and realism. There’s an assortment of Bunraku videos on YouTube. My favourite is probably this video of a Bunraku performance in Kyoto.

You can find additional Bunraku video clips here at the Bunraku web site maintained by the Japan Arts Council.