Ningyo Jyoruri performance｜Places to enjoy the sounds of Japanese instruments

What is Ningyo Joruri?

Ningyo Joruri is a traditional Japanese performing art that began in the Edo period (1603-1868). In it, puppets are manipulated to act out stories.

Music is played on the shamisen, the tayu（storyteller） tells the story, and the puppeteer manipulates the puppets.　

The shamisen player plays the shamisen while paying attention to the tayu's breathing and timing to bring out the tayu's facial expressions, and the puppeteer manipulates the puppets in time with the tayu's narration. The puppeteer manipulates the puppets following the tayu's narration. In this way, it is a comprehensive art form in which the three performers work as one. Today, it is continued in various forms in each region, including those that pursue a high level of artistry, those that enjoy it as a local performing art, and those that dedicate it to a Shinto ritual.

Tayu

The tayu tells the story while looking at the tokomoto, which is a brush copy of the play and the way the play is told. the tayu places the tokomoto at eye level as a sign of deep respect for the skills passed down from his predecessors. the tayu performs several characters and scenes alone, sometimes for up to an hour and a half without a microphone. It takes decades of training to become a full-fledged tayu.

Shamisen

The shamisen is a large, thick-necked instrument of the "futozao" type. The shamisen plays the melody with a percussive character, adding rhythm and accent to the music. Using these techniques, the shamisen enhances the story by expressing the sounds of the scene and the emotions of the characters.

Puppeteer

Three puppeteers manipulate a single puppet. The "omozukai" is in charge of the puppet's head and right hand, the "hidari-zukai" is in charge of the left hand, and the "foot puppeteer" is in charge of the legs, working together to prevent unnatural movements. The puppeteer wears a black ninja-like costume called kurogo (black robe) and hides his face to not disturb the audience. This is in keeping with the Japanese tradition that black is the color of invisibility. However, sometimes only the main actor shows his face.

Monzaemon Chikamatsu and his works

Monzaemon Chikamatsu (1653-1724) was born as a samurai, but was active as a writer during the Edo period. He left two famous works,  "Jidaimono" (historical dramas), based on historical events and famous military commanders, and "Sewamono" (stories about caretakers), which depict the events and love lives of ordinary people. "Sonezaki Shinju" is a story set in Osaka about an Ohatsu prostitute and a merchant named Tokubei who fall in love. It was very popular at the time and is still performed today.

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