|
The excursions and events sponsored by KIT for international students include papermaking, tea ceremony and other Japanese crafts and cultural traditions. On June 6th, twenty-four students and four staff from International Affairs took advantage of an opportunity to attend an introductory performance of Bunraku or classical puppetry.
Our group sampled the humourous dance, Ninin Sambasou; an explanatory
lecture, Welcome to Bunraku and an excerpt from Keisei Koi Bikyaku in which
we learned what came to pass at the village of Ninokuchi. The explanations
of the roles of chanters, shamisen and puppeteers offered by a Bunraku
master and accompanied by demonstrations were helpful and easy to follow.
Persons in the audience were given an opportunity to come on stage and
work the legs of a puppet. Students brave enough to try, reported that
it was fun, but difficult and that they felt tense.
Bunraku, along with Noh and Kabuki, is a recognized UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Japan. As such, we were pleased to offer students this opportunity to see and experience this highly-stylized performance art.
|
