PRESS RELEASE

September 10, 2013

No. 954

Exploring New Frontiers in Traditional Bunraku Puppetry"Sonezaki Shinju: The Love Suicides at Sonezaki"
The first-ever overseas tour to start on September 27, 2013
The Japan Foundation and the Odawara Art Foundation proudly present the world premiere European tour ofthe Ningyo Joruri Bunraku (Japanese puppet theatre) performance "Sugimoto Bunraku Sonezaki Shinju: The
Love Suicides at Sonezaki" over a month from September to October, 2013. The Japan Foundation is also
pleased to announce the press conference and bunraku lectures and demonstration events to be held inconjunction with the performances.
Madrid: Friday, September 27 and Saturday, September 28, 2013
*Total of 2 performances at Teatro Español
Press conference: Morning of Thursday, September 26, 2013 (TBA)
Bunraku lecture and demonstration
Date: 12:00pm -2:00pm, Saturday, September 28, 2013
Venue: Teatro Español
Program: Lecture and demonstration by puppeteers
Rome: Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5, 2013
*Total of 2 performances at Teatro Argentina
Press conference: 1:00pm - 3:00pm, Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Bunraku lecture and demonstration
Date: 6:30pm - 8:30pm, Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Venue: Instituto Giapponese di Cultura
Program: Lecture and demonstration by the narrator, shamisen (a three-stringedJapanese banjo) player and puppeteers.
Lecture by an Italian scholar on Japan precedes the demonstration
Bunraku film screening: 6:30pm - 9:00pm, Thursday, October 3, 2013
Venue: Instituto Giapponese di Cultura
Paris: Thursday, October 10 - Saturday, October 19, 2013
*Total of 11 performances at Théâtre de la Ville, Paris
Bunraku lecture and demonstration
Date: 6:30pm- 8:30pm, Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Venue: Grande salle, Maison de la clture du Japon à Paris
Program: Lecture and demonstration by the narrator, shamisen player and puppeteers
Lecture by Hiroshi Sugimoto
Date: 6:30pm - 8:30pm, Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Venue: Grande salle, Maison de la clture du Japon à Paris〒160-0004© Hiroshi Sugimoto, courtesy of theOdawara Art Foundation© Hiroshi Sugimoto, courtesy of theOdawara Art Foundation

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As the first overseas performances of the work, the European tour starts in Madrid as part of thecommemoration of the "400th Anniversary of Japan-Spain Relations." Celebrating the 400th year since theKeicho Delegates reached Europe and cultural exchanges between Japan and Spain began, the piece will bepresented at the renowned Teatro Español, a performing arts theatre with a history of 430 years located incentral Madrid. After Madrid the performance will move to Rome to mark the 50th anniversary of the Istituto
Giapponese di Cultura in Rome, which opened in 1962 as the first Japan Culture Center to be founded abroad.
The venue, Teatro Argentina, is one of the most prestigious theatres in Rome, and known as the venue of thepremiere of Rossini's opera The Barber of Seville. And finally, eleven performances will be given at theThéâtre de la Ville in Paris as part of the main program during the Festival d'automne à Paris, a world-famousfestival of the performing arts.

For details visit: http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/culture/new/1306/06-01.html

Information about the Performance
Kitagawa (Ms)
The Japan Foundation
Europe, Middle East and Africa Section, Arts and Culture Dept.
Tel :+ 81-3-5369-6063 E-mail: Yoko_Kitagawa@jpf.go.jp
Press Contact
Taira (Ms) （TAIRAMASAKO PRESS OFFICE）
Tel: + 81-90-1149-1111 E-mail: info@tmpress.jp〒160-0004

東京都新宿区四谷 4-4-1
www.jpf.go.jp