Hyogo Tourism Guide TID Blog GO! GO! HYOGO: Art: Awaji Ningyo Joruri (Puppetry)

Hello everyone! I’ll introduce a traditional performing art in Awaji, Hyogo in this edition. Awaji Island is located in the Seto Inland Sea between the islands of Hoshu and Shikoku and has mild weather all year around. The island can be easily accessed from Kobe in under an hour. Awaji is a resort island, offering delicious seafood and hot springs. As you can see from the picture, it is also a great place to see beautiful flowers.

Cosmos come in full bloom in November.

Awaji island is also full of history and tradition. According to the Japanese creation myth, Awaji was the first of Japan’s islands to be created, and that it served food to the imperial court. The traditional performing art of Awaji Ningyo Joruri (Awaji Puppetery) has a history of over 500 years and is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property by the Japanese government. Three master puppeteers manipulate a single puppet to sound of the Shamisen (Japanese traditional musical instrument), making a performance that is brimming with emotion.

The new Awaji Doll Ningyo Joruri Pavillion (Puppet theater) opened this August. The theater, while modern from the outside, retains the feeling of an old-fashioned wooden structure.

New Awaji Doll Joruri Pavilion

Awaji Ningyo Joruri has been performed in 28 countries and has received high acclaim around the globe. This world of traditional arts that transcends national boundaries is well worth a visit.