Traditional 'Bunraku' puppets for children help Japanese master endure coronavirus shutdown

Kanjuro Kiritake, a Bunraku puppeteer who was designated a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government, performs Japan's traditional puppet drama called 'Bunraku' which emerged in 15th century and the characters are manipulated by three puppeteers, during a program titled Komochi Yamanba (The Pregnant Mountain Ogress) at National Theatre in Tokyo, Japan September 7, 2020. REUTERS/Issei Kato

OSAKA, Japan (Reuters) - Stuck at home for weeks while Japan was under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus, renowned Japanese Bunraku puppet master Kanjuro Kiritake, all his performances cancelled for months, was stricken with deep anxiety.

His art, a traditional, male-only Japanese puppet theatre, was born in Osaka in the late 1600s, but in 2020 felt existentially threatened, he said.