This is a series of articles by Tayu Takemoto Oritayu (竹本織太夫) on the charm of Bunraku (文楽), a traditional performing art born in Osaka. This time we spoke to Oritayu in Nakanoshima (中之島), a place with which he is very familiar. The river and greenery make it a relaxing place, an oasis in the city.

Have you ever seen Bunraku (文楽)?　Bunraku is a traditional performing art born in Osaka. Bunraku is a puppet show, unique in the world, in which three puppeteers manipulate a single puppet and the tayu performer (太夫) tells the story with shamisen (三味線) accompaniment. When you step onto the stage, you are surprised by the dynamic and delicate expressions. However, those unfamiliar with Bunraku may have the impression that it is difficult to understand. We have therefore decided to start a series of articles, 'Practice of Bunraku: season by season', to explain the charms of Bunraku, with Takemoto Oritayu (竹本織太夫) VI, an active tayu performer, as our guide. In the first installment, we asked him about his journey until now.