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Even though it is called Sarukura Puppet Theater, it is based on Momoyake Puppet Theater, which started in Momoyake (former Chokai Town). Yohachi Ikeda learned puppet theater in Tokyo from puppet master Yoshida, who was from Gunma Prefecture. Yohachi added the elements of Bungaku to establish his own puppet theater. In the old days, his troupe visited rural areas during the off-season for farmers and performed on simple stages set up in private houses.
On the contrary of Bungaku in which puppeteers come into the limelight, Sarukura Puppet Theater is called “Kakure-tsukai (hiding puppeteer)”, which is characterized by puppeteers behind the curtain. The puppeteers operate by putting their arm into the hem of the puppets’ clothes, holding the wood on the throat with index and middle fingers, and fitting the both hands of the puppet over the thumb and little fingers. Each hand has one puppet and operate two puppets simultaneously.
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Sarukura Puppet Theater in Yurihonjo city (Japanese audio only)
Sarukura Puppet Theater in Kita-Akita city (Japanese audio only)
Sarukura Puppet Theater by Nonaka-Yoshida Puppet Theater (Japanese audio only)
Current activities
Nonaka-Yoshida Puppet Theater has 2 stages per year on the last Saturday of January and August 17.
Minwa Densho Kan (for the stage of Nonaka-Yoshida Puppet Theater)
Kaizawa Yanagihara 188-1, Ugo-cho, Akita
Take the Ou line train for 1 hour 45 minutes from Akita station to Yuzawa station. Take the Nishimonai line bound for Fumoto-bashi for 10 minutes from Yuzawa station to Yanagida Bashi. Walk for 2 minutes.
猿仓人形剧
猿仓人形剧是出现在百宅(原鸟海町)的百宅人形剧。是百宅出身的池田与八开始进行的人形剧,刚开始是在东京学习来自群马人形师吉田某的人形剧,将文乐作为基础添加了一些创意后完成的。此为曾经在农闲期主要于农村盛大演出,借民家后简单搭设舞台举行。
猿倉人形劇
猿倉人形劇是發源於百宅(原鳥海町)的百宅人形劇。是百宅出身的池田與八開始進行的人形劇,剛開始是在東京學習來自群馬人形師吉田某的人形劇,將文樂作為基礎添加了一些創意後完成的。此為曾經在農閒期主要於農村盛大演出,借民家後簡單搭設舞台舉行。