Japan Traditional Puppet Performance Held at Onsen Resort in Shizuoka Pref.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

7:00 JST, March 3, 2026

A bunraku traditional puppet performance was held at a ryokan inn in Izunokuni, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Sunday.

About 40 people took in the puppet show, a luxurious dinner and a hot spring experience, which were all included in a tour package at the Sanyoso inn in the city’s Izu-Nagaoka Onsen resort.

The tour was part of “Action! Dentou-Bunka,” a project promoting Japan’s traditional culture organized by The Yomiuri Shimbun and the Seibu Group. It was the third year in a row for a bunraku performance to be conducted at Sanyoso as part of the project.

“Please enjoy bunraku, and also take in the beautiful garden at Sanyoso, the hot spring and the delicious dinner the ryokan is proud of,” Seibu Holdings Inc. President Ryuichiro Nishiyama said in an address prior to the performance.

Toshikazu Yamaguchi, the president of The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings, then gave an address, where he made reference to the shortage of successors to bunraku performers.

“Bunraku is a comprehensive art form that transcends a regular puppet play,” he said. “I hope you will provide warm support for this traditional performing art.”