Performers with Sasago Oiwake Puppet Theatre are visiting Iowa from Yamanashi prefecture. That prefecture has been Iowa’s sister state since the ’60s. There have been lots of exchanges of support and kindness over the years. This is another example of sharing culture with Iowans.The dolls move gracefully to music — music and movement that tell a story known as bunraku. “Bunraku is the general term for a puppet show,” Yoko Tanaka with the Japan America Society of Iowa said. Mysterious shadows behind the dolls are crucial to the performance because it takes three people to operate one puppet. Each person helps give the doll life and expressions. Sasago Oiwake has been visiting schools and communities across Iowa, including Valley High School in West Des Moines. The Japan America Society of Iowa shared that it brought the group here because 150 years ago, Mother Nature put bunraku in jeopardy. “There was flood, and the dolls were washed away. Lots of parts were washed away, and they almost couldn’t continue,” Tanaka said. This is the first time Sasago Oiwake has performed in the United States. The performers say it has been a memorable first visit, and it was an unforgettable experience for the Iowans who saw the action.
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa —
Performers with Sasago Oiwake Puppet Theatre are visiting Iowa from Yamanashi prefecture. That prefecture has been Iowa’s sister state since the ’60s. There have been lots of exchanges of support and kindness over the years. This is another example of sharing culture with Iowans.
The dolls move gracefully to music — music and movement that tell a story known as bunraku.
“Bunraku is the general term for a puppet show,” Yoko Tanaka with the Japan America Society of Iowa said.
Mysterious shadows behind the dolls are crucial to the performance because it takes three people to operate one puppet. Each person helps give the doll life and expressions. Sasago Oiwake has been visiting schools and communities across Iowa, including Valley High School in West Des Moines.
The Japan America Society of Iowa shared that it brought the group here because 150 years ago, Mother Nature put bunraku in jeopardy.
“There was flood, and the dolls were washed away. Lots of parts were washed away, and they almost couldn’t continue,” Tanaka said.
This is the first time Sasago Oiwake has performed in the United States. The performers say it has been a memorable first visit, and it was an unforgettable experience for the Iowans who saw the action.
AloJapan.com