Chikamatsu Monzaemon
Bunraku's history goes as far back as the 16th century but the origins of the modern form can be traced to the 1680s. It rose to popularity after the playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653–1724) began a collaboration with the magnificent chanter Takemoto Gidayu (1651–1714), who established the Takemoto puppet theater in Osaka in 1684.