Rural Village Stages
From the Edo Era and through the Meiji Era, outstanding performances of puppet theatre were not the only thing appreciated by the audience. Villagers also participated in performances working together to make things up as the play progressed. All villages had their own local stage for the theatre, created in the groves of village shrines to keep them well concealed and unobtrusive. With their simple appearances, the village stages reveal an atmosphere that can't be found in modern urban theatre.
The annual functions and events that were held would be compromised of the puppet show and the ballad drama singing and dancing. This would smooth the way for an amateur dramatic performance, along with these events everyone would congregate in a banquet hall for a feast and thus allowing different people to fulfill various roles in the social life of the village.
Number of Nationwide Theatres
In 1971 according to the results of a national survey it was confirmed that throughout the country there were 1338 village theatres, and 209 of these were in Tokushima Prefecture. The number of outdoor puppet theatres nationwide was 216. It was reported that 208 (96%) of these were in Tokushima. It was then understood just how popular Ningyo Joruri was in Tokushima.
Fusuma Karakuri
Another distinctive characteristic of Tokushima's village theatre is the mechanized backdrop (fusuma karakuri). Originally, it was used as the background scenery in the puppet show, but ingenious ways of changing the scene, by flipping, dropping, or separating the panels, made it into an attraction of its own. Tokushima City's Inugai village theatre is especially famous as its fusuma karakuri has around 130 background sheets that can depict 42 different backgrounds.
Present Day
The abandonment and neglect of many village theatres goes hand in hand with the growth of industrialization and de-population as well as the change in people's tastes in entertainment due to the spread of television, radio and movies. Now more than half of the theatres where plays were once held are abandoned, left to decay or used as storage buildings. Despite all this there are many people in recent times who view these places as valuable local cultural resources. After an interval of several decades Ningyo Joruri plays are now being performed again.
Number of Nationwide Theatres
In 1971 according to the results of a national survey it was confirmed that throughout the country there were 1338 village theatres, and 209 of these were in Tokushima Prefecture. The number of outdoor puppet theatres nationwide was 216. It was reported that 208 (96%) of these were in Tokushima. It was then understood just how popular Ningyo Joruri was in Tokushima.
Fusuma Karakuri
Another distinctive characteristic of Tokushima's village theatre is the mechanized backdrop (fusuma karakuri). Originally, it was used as the background scenery in the puppet show, but ingenious ways of changing the scene, by flipping, dropping, or separating the panels, made it into an attraction of its own. Tokushima City's Inugai village theatre is especially famous as its fusuma karakuri has around 130 background sheets that can depict 42 different backgrounds.
Present Day
The abandonment and neglect of many village theatres goes hand in hand with the growth of industrialization and de-population as well as the change in people's tastes in entertainment due to the spread of television, radio and movies. Now more than half of the theatres where plays were once held are abandoned, left to decay or used as storage buildings. Despite all this there are many people in recent times who view these places as valuable local cultural resources. After an interval of several decades Ningyo Joruri plays are now being performed again.