Bunraku Performance for Beginners
Guidance (in Japanese)
Ehon Taikōki
Venue : National Theatre(Small Theatre)
Performance Dates
Dec. 6(Tue.) - Dec. 19(Mon.), 2022
No performance on 13 (Tue.)
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| Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | Mon | |
| 11:00 | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | - | 〇 | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
| 2:00 | ○ | ○ | - | - | ○ | - | - | - | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | - | ○ |
| 6:30 | - | - | ● | ● | - | - | ◎ | - | - | - | - | - | ○ | - |
○:Bunraku Performance for Beginners
●:Bunraku Performance for Beginners (Evening)
◎:Discover BUNRAKU (With English guidance.)
Running Time : Approx. 2 hours and 20 minutes
Ticket Prices(tax included)
Student =1,800 yen
Adult = 4,500 yen
Seating plan
*Japanese audio guides are available for rent. Click here for details.
*Subtitles: Available only in Japanese. Displayed on the screen above the stage.
*English synopsis is available. It is included in the paid Japanese brochure.
*There will be intermission.
Booking Opens
Nov.14(Mon.), 2022
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Box Office
0570-07-9900 (From overseas: +81-3-3230-3000) in Japanese and English
(10:00AM - 6:00PM)
Online Booking : https://ticket.ntj.jac.go.jp/top_e.htm
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Counter Sales at the Theatre
available from Nov.15(Tue.),2022
in Japanese
Yūgao Dana no Dan and Amagasaki no Dan of Ehon Taikōki are loaded with the charms of Bunraku in a little more than an hour-and-a-half performance!
Honnōji no Hen (the Honnōji Incident) is a historic event involving a mystery that draws a lot of interest even today. Why did Akechi Mitsuhide kill his master Oda Nobunaga? This was an intriguing incident for the people of the Edo period, as well. Ehon Taikōki, a story with the aim of serving as a key to solving the mystery, describes the actions leading up to the incident as well as what became of Nobunaga’s retainer, Mitsuhide, and his family after the incident.
Today’s programs, Yūgao Dana no Dan and Amagasaki no Dan, present the climax of the story and depict the tragic heroism of a traitor Takechi (historically Akechi) Mitsuhide. It’s a story set overnight in which Mitsuhide’s wife, son and his fiancée, as well as Mitsuhide’s rival, Mashiba Hisayoshi (Hashiba “Toyotomi” Hideyoshi), disguised as a travelling monk, visit a small house in Amagasaki where Mitsuhide’s mother lives alone, isolating herself from society.
Mitsuhide’s suffering as a traitor, his family’s anguish over being the relatives of the traitor, as well as the resolution of Hisayoshi, who follows his master’s last wishes…this story depicts the outpouring of emotions of the characters as they experience them. In an attempt to express karma, in that people must live with the consequences of their actions, the tayū and shamisen players passionately perform with rich musicality, while the puppets endowed with the souls of the characters represent the characters’ human feelings. The Jōruri music will echo strongly throughout the theatre, conveying to the audience the charms of this drama, which is further enhanced by Bunraku’s appeal.
Whether you and your friends are longtime aficionados or new to this traditional Japanese performing art, please join in for our Bunraku Performance for Beginners, which will be the last performance presented in the original National Theatre of Tokyo.