Awa Jurobe Yashiki, Puppet theatre museum in Kawauchicho, Japan.
Awa Jurobe Yashiki is a puppet theatre museum in Kawauchicho, Tokushima, housing a collection of antique puppet heads alongside active performance stages. The exhibition rooms and the live show area sit side by side, so visitors can move between objects on display and theatre in action.
The museum opened in 1954 in a region where puppetry has been practised since the Edo period. The techniques passed down through generations were later recognised as a National Important Intangible Folk Culture Asset.
Performances here showcase the traditional Awa Ningyo Joruri storytelling style, where three puppeteers move a single figure together while a narrator and shamisen musician bring the story to life. This way of performing is deeply rooted in local culture and continues to shape how people in the region understand puppet theatre.
It is worth planning time for both the exhibition and the performances, as each part of the visit offers something different. Weekdays tend to be quieter than weekends or public holidays.
The collection brings together puppets from around 40 different troupes, showing how each group developed its own way of designing and moving figures over time. This makes it possible to spot clear differences in style between troupes just by looking at the heads on display.
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