Puppets

At the beginning of the book, Misako's father has invited Misako and Kaname to come see a puppet show with him. They are not interested, since they find traditional Japanese puppet theater to be boring. During the performance, however, Kaname finds the performance to be enchanting, and for him it begins to symbolize everything that is charming and Japanese. These huge puppets are performed by three puppeteers each, and move primarily through the torso and head, suggesting emotion through subtle nuances of pose. The story is sung by a narrator and is similar to an opera. This art style was originally the hobby of farmers, who could not afford lavish entertainment but could entertain one another with their wooden puppets. In Chapter 11, the narrator says, "In the days before motion pictures, there was thus a happy substitute for them: a few hands and a little equipment, and a...