Puk Puppet Theatre Shinjuku: Making People Dream

31 Jul 2008 Category: Architecture, Japan

Puk Puppet Theatre Shinjuku: Making People Dream

The old building occupied by Puk Puppet Theatre in the middle of hypermodern Shinjuku.

Just a bit from Shinjuku station’s south exit, you will find Puk Puppet Theatre — a small, European-style puppet theatre. How surreal, since while its surrounding area is stuffed with hypermodern houses and full of restaurants, this old and illustrious building looks like it fell right out of a picture book. We wondered in which era this theatre got started and why exactly it looks like this… And indeed, the puppet troupe (though not its building) exists since 1929! PingMag talked to Tsutomu Mikami, the general director and lighting director, who told us all about the place.

Written by Ryoko
Translated by Kevin Mcgue

The Beginning

Puk Puppet Theatre got started 37 years ago, in 1971. At that time the members of the Puk Puppet Troupe thought that they would like to have their own theatre. Their late founder, Taiji Kawajiri, lead them to open the first modern puppet theatre in Japan. Now it is run by Puk Puppet Theatre with its management, Studio Nova, which produces puppet videos for TV and other media, and the Puk Troupe, which produces the stage shows.


The nearly hidden theatre a narrow alley…

… and the sign in front of the it.

A Unique Structure

If you stand in front of the building and look up, you will first notice “1929,” the year the Puk Troupe was founded. There are many other dates, words, and motifs carved into the surface of the building. Tsutomu Mikami, the manager, told us that he carved the “P” at the beginning of the theatre’s name.


A sign carved into the concrete at the entrance…

… and a meaningful symbol above one of the windows.

The building has eight floors, including three underground. On the ground floor, there is a 106-seat theatre. The floor plan in this unique building is like a maze, with a complex backstage with dressing rooms and restrooms behind the stage.

The troupe rehearsing in the main theatre.

Mr. Mikami takes us up this narrow, steep staircase behind the stage…

… and to this spiral staircase that the puppeteers use to move around backstage.

The sound area.

And the lighting area.

On the ground floor, there is a lobby where puppets and toys are sold. Also, the office and a rehearsal hall are all crammed into a small space. The idea of this floor plan was painstakingly based on earlier theatres in seven different countries including the Czech Republic and Switzerland. All over the building, there are decorations such as hand-carved mushrooms and picture book illustrations for a warm atmo. How cute!


We spotted this work by famous picture book illustrator Satoshi Kako. He served as chairman when it first opened, and is still a member of the ‘friends of the theatre.’

Oh my! A handmade doll based on Kako’s illustration.

A hand-carved wooded mushroom as suggestion box!

Another more than cute design on the restroom door.

All sorts of puppets and toys are on sale in the theatre lobby….

… yes, these sweet ones too.

We found this interesting fella in the lobby. If you spin the stick, it seriously starts to resemble a jellyfish!

Finally, we are allowed to watch a rehearsal in the hall on the fith floor! And the air is thick with excitement, because the performers are nervous as they go through rehearsals. We truly believe that the performers go through this hard work, rehearsing from early morning till late at night just to make their audience, us, happy!

The hall on the fifth floor with the puppet troupe in the middle of rehearsal.

During a break in rehearsals, we talk to Mr. Sato, a veteran member of the troupe.

“I think the most important thing to put on a good play is to concentrate not to be nervous,” Sato says. “If we are nervous, it ruins the play. Of course it is not possible to concentrate for long periods, so it is also important to allow people to relax and refresh in order to have balance. You might ask what what makes it worth it to be a performer. It is that moment when we hear the audience laugh and applaud. That makes us really happy!”

The Puppet Show

The troupe puts on several shows per month, which is always really exciting for the kids. They use a variety of puppets in the shows, including finger puppets, hand puppets, shadow puppets, marionettes, and large costumes that the performers get inside of.

Creatures on stage! A performance with puppets that the performers put their arms into.

Oh! “The Adventures of Elmar” with puppets the players partially get inside of.

A performance with marionettes.

“There are many possibilities in puppet theatre,” manager Tsutomu Mikami explains. “We want to try new things in order to expand. One thing we have done is start Puk Cinema last year, showing animation from outside Japan along with short puppet performances. We are also performing works more aimed at adults, with modern settings, black humour, and fantasy”

Activities

Apart from their own puppet shows, the theatre also hosts performances of rakugo, manza, vaudeville, and performances by regional theatres or troupes from abroad. They began by inviting performers from Europe, and have since hosted groups from around 40 countries in Asia, Oceania, and South America.

Photos from the 70th anniversary of Puk Theatre. It also hosts rakugo and vaudeville performances.

Since the theatre has been involved with the World Puppet Theatre Association, groups from England, America, Italy, or Bulgaria have played there.

“I think all theatrical people want to have their own theatre,” Tsutomu. Mikami reflects. “But for troupes that don’t have money, it is often nothing more than a dream. For us, this dream came true and it is something we are proud of until today. And we really want to expose people to the wonders of puppet theatre, children and adults. This year we will mark the 80th year of our troupe, and while we want to expand, we still want to keep our original goals of doing what we do for people, for kids, and for peace.”

Thanks to Mr. Mikami and everyone at the Puk Puppet Theatre for their help! Folks, if you have a chance, you definitely should go by.

Info:

Puk Puppet Theatre

2-12-3 Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo. Map. Phone: 03-3370 3371
The theatre is only open on days with performances.

65 Comments

  1. cute puppets! always loved them since i was young

    Posted by: roku on July 31st, 2008 at 7:20 pm

  2. What a fantastic building!

    Posted by: steve jenings on July 31st, 2008 at 7:35 pm

  3. Great find guys! They really are an institution… a real Japanese muppet show!

    Posted by: Gregory Moulinet on July 31st, 2008 at 8:53 pm

  4. How cool! It’s amazing to see places like that still operational.

    Posted by: Architects on August 1st, 2008 at 12:20 am

  5. I remember watching puppet shows growing up in England. Very cool place. Thanks for sharing.

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  7. [...] Just a bit from Shinjuku station’s south exit, you will find Puk Puppet Theatre — a small, European-style puppet theatre. How surreal, since while its surrounding area is stuffed with hypermodern houses and full of restaurants, this old and illustrious building looks like it fell right out of a picture book. We wondered in which era this theatre got started and why exactly it looks like this… And indeed, the puppet troupe (though not its building) exists since 1929! Read more>> [...]

    Posted by: Kevin Mcgue - Tokyo-Based Journalist & Filmmaker » Puk Puppet Theatre Shinjuku: Making People Dream on March 1st, 2009 at 11:07 am

  8. [...] Read the English version at PingMag» [...]

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