Sketch of Bunraku puppeteers at the National Theatre of Japan, Tokyo (Sketch drawn by Kay Yasugi while watching the performance)

In September 2010, Kay Yasugi from Pupperoos took a trip to Japan, spending two and a half fun-filled weeks visiting Tokyo, Kyoto and Kyushu. During this time she was able to explore traditional Bunraku puppetry. This style of puppetry involves three puppeteers for each puppet, and the art form dates back to the 17th Century. While watching the performances, Kay enjoyed sketching the puppeteers (she also got a chance to hold the puppets afterwards!). To read more about her experiences and to see some photos and sketches, click on the “Postcards from Japan” link below. pdf-gifPostcards from Japan (approx. 700KB) This article has been published in “O.P.E.N. (Oz Puppetry Email Newsletter)” issue 9, October 2010. “O.P.E.N.” is a free monthly newsletter about Puppetry and Visual Theatre in Australia. To learn more about this free newsletter and to join, please visit http://www.dreampuppets.com/Performances.html Sketching in Japan: Click on the images below to see some of the sketches that Kay drew during her trip.