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Glite Dictionary
bunraku

bunraku

1 9.9
A traditional Japanese puppet theatre with large puppets operated by visible puppeteers and a live narrator
  • noun
  • /bʌnˈrɑːku/
translation icon : bunraku
  • At the theater, we were mesmerized by the intricate movements of the bunraku puppets, which were skillfully operated by the puppeteers.
  • bunraku puppets

Examples

  • Utilizing an arsenal of bunraku puppets, the troupe tells a dark tale of a scientist's overly successful experiment of implanting human glands into the body of a stray dog.

    Blog text (3)

  • During my visit to Japan, I watched a stunning bunraku performance, where the stories were brought to life by large, jointed puppets.

  • The bunraku tradition is rich in history, incorporating live narration alongside the captivating puppetry that enchants audiences.

Synonyms

puppet show
vsbunraku
17 1.8

A performance using puppets to tell a story to people

is a formal Japanese theatrical form with large jointed figures and narration
puppetry
vsbunraku
5 5.3

The art of making and moving puppets for shows

is the specific Japanese staged tradition focusing on large jointed figures and narration
puppet play
vsbunraku
1 3.4

A show using puppets to tell a story

is a specific Japanese tradition with visible operators and live narration

Surface Forms

bunraku singular
bunrakus plural

Etymology

The word bunraku comes from the name of a famous Japanese puppeteer, Bunrakuken, who made the puppet show style popular in Osaka. So bunraku now means the traditional Japanese 'puppet theatre' with large puppets moved by visible puppeteers.