Harvard Club of Japan

SOLD OUT! The World of Bunraku

Explore the Art of Bunraku With Master Puppeteers

The Harvard Club of Japan is pleased to present a Sunday program exploring the world of Bunraku with masters of the art on Sunday, May 18 at the National Theatre, Tokyo. The program features a lecture on the art of Bunraku, followed by a Bunraku performance, concluding with an optional dinner with a Bunraku performer. 

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From 15:00 – 15:45 at the Traditional Performing Arts Information Center 3F:

The program begins with a lecture by Bunraku puppet maker Satoshi Murao and preview of the play by Akira Nakamura of the Archives Japan, who organized this event and kindly made it open to HCJ. 

There will be NO ENGLISH TRANSLATION of this lecture, so participants should either be able to speak Japanese or come together with someone who can help you follow along!

From 16:00 – 20:10 at the National Theatre (Small Theatre) - Bunraku performances of the following plays:

『女殺油地獄』 (“Onna-Koroshi Abura no Jigoku (The Woman-killer and the Hell of Oil)” by Monzaemon Chikamatsu)

『鳴響安宅新関』 (“Narihibiku Ataka no Shinseki” (The New Barrier of Ataka) by Gohei Namiki)

The Bunraku performances will feature an “Earphone-guide”, available both in English and Japanese. A must-have for English-only speakers, but also very useful for Japanese speakers to help follow the story and enjoy famous scenes.

Participation Fee for the Lecture and Performance: 9,000 yen

This includes a first class ticket, performance program and postal charge (the ticket and a leaflet will be mailed to participants).  

“Earphone-guide” available for an extra rental fee of 500 yen (with 1,000 yen deposit)

Please see the National Theatre Website for further venue information:  http://www.ntj.jac.go.jp/english/access/facilities_01.html 

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