Kurasawa Puppet Kabuki

Festival highlights

The highlight is the distinctive performance of replacing kabuki actors with puppets on stage.

Puppeteers speak the lines for each character to the accompaniment of gidayu chanting, advancing the story through an exchange with the Takemoto performers.

The repertoire is said to include works such as “Honcho Nijushiko,” “Ehon Taikoki,” and “Keisei Awa no Naruto.”

A distinctive feature is how the puppets’ precise movements and the puppeteer’s own narration can be enjoyed together.

A Hanamaki kabuki tradition carried on through puppet movement and narration

What to expect

The performance begins with Sanbaso, which purifies the stage, and ends with “Keshiki,” a short dance.

Several kabuki and puppet theater works are performed during that time, with Takemoto gidayu chanting and the puppeteers’ dialogue exchanged in turn.

Most works are gidayu kabuki plays, though the repertoire also includes works that do not use Takemoto.

You can enjoy a sequence of performances combining puppet movement, narration, and music.

How to take part

The event is presented as an opportunity to watch puppet theater passed down by groups including the Kurasawa Ningyo Kabuki Preservation Society.

If you wish to attend, please enjoy the performance in accordance with the listed hours and the guidance at the venue.

Source: 花巻市内の民俗芸能関係行事のお知らせ｜花巻市 / 倉沢人形歌舞伎 ｜イベントカレンダー｜【花巻観光協会公式サイト】

Location and access

Venue and address

Kurasawa Puppet Kabuki Heritage Hall (4-81 Kurasawa, Towa-cho, Hanamaki City)

Address 4-81 Kurasawa, Towa-cho, Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture

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Dates and season

It is held annually on November 23, with listed hours of 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Accommodation and hotels PR

Tips for your visit

The performance is listed as running from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The venue is the Kurasawa Ningyo Kabuki Denshokan, where you can quietly enjoy the puppets’ movements, narration, and Gidayu-bushi as a conventional stage performance.

Please check with the Kurasawa Ningyo Kabuki Preservation Society before your visit for information on whether the event will be held in 2026, admission procedures on the day, and other notices.

Nearby attractions

Museums and art museumsHanamaki City

花巻歴史民俗資料館

岩手県花巻市にあった資料館

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Attractions in the same municipality. Check each attraction’s official website for travel distances from the venue and current opening information.

Origins and History of Kurasawa Puppet Kabuki

Kurasawa Puppet Kabuki is said to have begun after its founder, Tsunejiro Kanno, became interested in the Mizuosh Puppet Theater in Kitakami City, which he had seen as a child.

Its origins are traced to 1894, when puppet performances began using puppets and props made by the founder, who spoke the lines to the accompaniment of gidayu chanting.

In 2019, it was selected as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property for which measures such as the creation of records should be taken, as it demonstrates regional characteristics and changes in the performing art.

Official information

Event information can be found in the events section of the Hanamaki Tourism Association's official website.

An explanation of its cultural heritage status is also available in the Agency for Cultural Affairs' Database of Nationally Designated Cultural Properties.

The Kurasawa Puppet Kabuki Preservation Society is listed as the contact for inquiries about the event.

Kurasawa Puppet Kabuki at a Glance

Kurasawa Puppet Kabuki is a one-person puppet theater tradition passed down in Kurasawa, Towa-cho, Hanamaki City.

Puppeteers manipulate the puppets while speaking the characters’ lines, creating a distinctive performance in dialogue with Takemoto gidayu chanting.

Performances are usually held at the Kurasawa Puppet Kabuki Heritage Hall on November 23, beginning with Sanbaso and ending with “Keshiki.”