Bunraku

thumb|The character Osono, from the play , in a performance by the Tonda Puppet Troupe of Nagahama, Shiga Prefecture

Japanese playwright

2010 film by Guy Moshe

thumb|right|200px|Print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi of actor with three Kuroko thumb|200px|Kuroko behind actors on stage are stagehands in traditional Japanese theatre, who dress all in black.

theater

Kabuki playwright

are Japanese kabuki or plays that feature historical plots and characters, often famous samurai battles. These are in contrast to , contemporary plays, which generally focus on commoners and domestic issues. is usually translated as "period plays". Film and television productions in this mode are called , and share many of the same features.

Japanese Jorun chanter