As one of Japan’s three major traditional performing arts, alongside noh and kabuki, bunraku is renowned for its exquisite fusion of sophisticated puppetry, emotionally resonant narration and traditional music.

Originating in the early 17th century and flourishing during the Edo period, bunraku has become a cornerstone of Japan’s cultural heritage, and was recognised by UNESCO in 2003 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The show will be performed in Japanese with Vietnamese subtitles, and will present excerpts from the iconic bunraku play Yoshitsune and One Thousand Cherry Trees.

The play tells the story of brave soldiers from the defeated Heike clan, who were thought to have died in battle but actually survived and are seeking revenge.

Edo playwrights crafted a powerful human drama from the world of the 12th-century Genpei wars. The Genji leader Yoshitsune is attacked in turns by the Heike warrior Tomomori, disguised as the owner of a boathouse, and Noritsune, disguised as a mountain priest.

The play also depicts Yoshitsune’s lover Shizuka Gozen and a fox who misses his parents in an imaginative, dramatic interpretation poised brilliantly between fiction and non-fiction.

The excerpt The Journey to Mount Yoshino features general Yoshitsune and his companions as they set sail for Kyushu. However, en route, a fierce storm forces them to seek refuge at Mount Yoshino.

Yoshitsune's lover Shizuka embarks alone on a journey to the Yamato region (now Nara) to find him. Along the way, she plays the Hatsune drum — a cherished gift from Yoshitsune — to soothe her melancholy throughout the journey.

As the clear sound of the drum resonates through the air, another character, Sato Tadanobu, who was lost, appears in travel attire. Wearing armour given to him by Yoshitsune, he shares the story of his elder brother, who was honoured for his unwavering loyalty towards Lord Yoshitsune.

Encouraging each other along the way, Shizuka and Tadanobu continue their journey together while still longing for Yoshitsune, until the mountains of Yoshino finally came into view.

In this performance, each puppet is animated by a trio of master puppeteers, including Yoshida Minoshirou and Yoshida Minotarou, working in perfect harmony to express the character’s gestures and emotions.

Meanwhile, narrator Toyotake Watarudayu gives voice to all characters with remarkable range and intensity, accompanied by the evocative tones of the shamisen musicians Tsurusawa Seiin, Tsurusawa Seikou and Tsurusawa Seishirou, weaving music and storytelling into a seamless and immersive theatrical experience.

"Through this event, we hope to share the emotional depth and artistic brilliance of bunraku with Vietnamese audiences, while sparking deeper interest in intangible cultural heritage — the distilled essence of centuries-old artistic expression," said Norihiko Yoshioka, director of the Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam.

"In today’s expanding cultural exchange between Vietnam and Japan, bunraku stands as a living testament to the enduring power of traditional arts and an invitation to preserve and celebrate the unique legacies that define our cultures."

There will be Q&A session after the show. Free admission with prior registration required at 024-3944-7419 (ext: 115).

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