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Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo is a Japanese puppet theater company that has been in the family of the founder of the kuruma ningyo style of puppetry since the 19th century. The company was named an Intangible Cultural Asset by the city of Tokyo and an Intangible Folk Custom Cultural Asset by the Japanese government. Since the mid 1990s, the company has been directed by Koryu Nishikawa V, who has brought the art form to international attention, touring mostly Europe and the Americas. ==Kuruma Ningyo puppetry== Kuruma Ningyo puppetry is a style of puppet manipulation. As it is derived from the older bunraku, it is part of Japanese theatrical heritage, which has its origin in religious artistic expression. For this reason, it is not a form of children’s entertainment like in the West, but rather a form of entertainment for the masses, performing stories from classical Japanese literature and famous events of the Edo period (19th century) Japan.〔(【引用サイトリンク】publisher= Shinai-usa.org )〕 Performances begin with the ''sanbaso'', a puppet dance which seeks to clear the stage of bad energy and acts as a petition for the show’s success.〔 Like bunraku, the performance of the puppets on stage is accompanied by shinnai musicians (generally one singer an one shamisen player), one main chanting narrator (''tayuu'') and an assistant. The music of the three-stringed shamisen is to highlight background themes, emotions and other non-verbal elements.〔〔 What distinguishes kuruma ningyo from its predecessor is how the puppets are manipulated on stage. “kuruma” is from ''rokuro-kuruma'' (a small seat with wheels) and “ningyo” means puppet… puppet on a cart.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】publisher= Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre )〕 Large puppets over a meter tall are placed in front of a single puppeteer, dressed in black, who is seated on the wheeled vehicle.〔 The use of this seat means that there is one puppeteer per puppet, unlike the three needed for bunraku, .〔 and also allows movement of the puppets over the entire stage, rather a limited horizontal plane.〔 The attachment of the puppet to the front of the black-clad person, also allows the puppeteer to match elements such as hands, feet and head for more realistic movement, such as walking feet, allowing an easier illusion of the puppet moving on its own.〔〔 The right hand of the puppet is controlled by the right hand of the puppeteer, and the feet are attached correspondingly by the puppeteer’s toes grasping pegs under the feet of the puppet.〔 The heads are attached by a thin black cord that allows corresponding head movement.〔 While the left hand is used to manipulate the left hand of the puppet, it is also used to manipulate the eyelids and/or mouth of the puppet. When this is required, the puppeteer must manipulate both arms with his/her right hand, making this style of puppetry more difficult.〔〔 Much of its traditional repertoire is similar to that performed in the 19th century, using traditional music, stories and scenery. The company regularly performs with Shinnai Joruri Narrative Song master Tsuruga Wakasanojo XI, who has been designated a Living National Treasure (Bearer of Intangible Cultural Property). This title is held by only about 100 people in all artistic and craft endeavors in Japan.〔〔(【引用サイトリンク】publisher= Shinai-usa.org )〕 However, under its current director it has experimented with non-traditional elements and story lines. The troupe has performed with a female ''gidayu'' (chanter/narrator), something that is rare.〔 It also has higher quality set design and more sophisticated lighting than most puppet theater productions.〔〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Hachioji Kuruma Ningyo」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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