Chapters 11-12 Summary

Kaname, O-hisa, and Misako's father arrive at the theater and sit down in the pit on cushions scattered on the floor. Awaji is the place of origin for Japanese puppet plays, and the style used in Awaji is far more primitive than the style used in Osaka. Since the art originated as a farmer's hobby that country folk would do in their spare time, the theaters are all makeshift buildings or outdoor stalls, or performances are even held in the fields, and the show is over if it starts raining. The theater is full, and the vital, loud group of people pay little attention to what is going on on stage. When they do look, it is mostly to admire the stylistic puppets. As the time passes and more people are drinking sake, the crowd gets louder and the puppeteers get...