1. A form of Japanese puppet theater in which large, elaborate puppets are manipulated by visible puppeteers while a narrator tells the story and musicians provide accompaniment.
Usage: Often capitalized when referring to the traditional art form; From Japanese, named after Uemura Bunrakuken, an 18th-century puppeteer

Examples

• Bunraku is one of Japan's most important traditional performing arts.
• The puppeteers in bunraku performances move in perfect synchronization with the narrator's voice.
• UNESCO recognized bunraku as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
• Students traveled to Japan to study bunraku techniques and history.
• The bunraku performance featured three puppeteers controlling a single character on stage.