Takeda Puppet company　［Takeda Puppet company]

Takeda Puppet company

The string puppet expert Yuki Magosaburo who created the essence of the Takeda puppet show, changed his name to Takeda Sannosuke according to the recommendations of Kawatake Shigetoshi and Tokugawa Musei before reviving the Takeda Puppet company in Tokyo.　

Sannosuke’s adopted disciple, Takeda Sennosuke (previous head of the Takeda Sennosuke Memorial International Marionette Museum), helped his father install the Takeda practice room, a place of art’s tradition and creation, to make the company members grow. He was active in movies, TV and show business with his fellow apprentice, the puppet maker Takeda Kinnosuke. In addition, he flew overseas to perform. The Takeda family name took its place into the world as he was selected as one of the 7 best puppeteers of the century.

In March of the 31st year of Showa (1956), the company was designated as Tokyo’s intangible cultural property. In April of Showa 47 (1972), performances were done overseas in Bonn and 12 other major cities in Germany for the first time, invitation to the Edinburgh art festival, Stockholm’s National Puppet Theater, France, Sweden, Denmark, Ireland, England, Canada, Italia, Poland, Soviet Union, Asian countries, etc. and many others.

However, in 1979, despite Takeda Sennosuke’s efforts after losing Takeda Kinnosuke in an unexpected accident, the activities came to a break again leaving 2600 puppets to sleep in a storehouse.

Crane’s flute

Young Yuri

"Sanbasou" opening

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Main works

• "Snow Child" (Ministry of National Arts Festival’s encouragement award,etc )

• "Crane’s flute" (Ministry of National Arts Festival’s excellence award）

• "TV・ Kurohime’s Tale" (head of NHK education bureau’s award, Munich national TV youth award)

• "Movie ・ Seasons of Meiji" (Ministry of National Arts Festival’s excellence award）

• Performed "Crane" 1442 times at Japan’s world exposition under the supervision of Ichikawa　Kon

• "Benkei’s bridge" (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Child Culture Welfare encouragement award)

...,etc., there are a lot of works.

Profile introduction

Takeda Sannosuke

Born in Yokohama, Bashamichi in Meiji 30 (1897). Became a disciple of Yuki Magosaburo the 9th during primary school, he inherited the name of the Takeda Puppet company in Showa 30 (1955). He passed away on December of Showa 40 (1965).

※He inherited the name of Yuki Magosaburo and later changed it to Takeda Sannosuke to rebuild the Takeda company.

Takeda Sennosuke

He was born in Showa 5 (1930) in Ajima, Shimoinagun Takagimura, Nagano prefecture. He preferred making puppets and performing than childhood plays. In Showa 21（1946), Sennosuke catch the eyes of Yuki Magosaburo the 9th, said to be the string puppet restorer, and after strongly requesting it he became his last apprentice.　In Showa 22 (1947) the 9th passed away, after that he became the disciple of one of his best students Takeda Sannosuke and devoted himself to training. After the death of Sannosuke in Showa 40 (1965), inheriting the name of Takeda, he took over the Takeda Puppet company. He served as executive committee member and councilor for the International Puppetry Association (UNIMA), president and honorary president of UNIMA Japan.

Takeda Kinnosuke

He was born in Oku city, Okayama prefecture in Taisho 12 (1923). In Showa 25 (1950), he graduated from the mechanical engineering department of Tokyo university’s faculty of engineering and the same year became a disciple in Yuki Magosaburo’s troop. He has made around 2600 puppets for the Takeda Puppet company. Kinnosuke’s puppets acquired a high reputation. He passed away on the 5th September of Showa 54 (1979) in an unexpected accident (at the age of 56).

The encounter of Iida city and Takeda Puppet

The hometown of the president Takeda Sennosuke, Takagimura, is close to Iida. Iida is called "the puppet theater city", there, something felt like a connection for president Takeda and he was determined to donate all of the company’s puppets and related materials, his personal collection including puppets from overseas, etc. to the city of Iida. On the other hand, Iida was planning the puppet theater town development, Takeda Puppet company’s puppets were extensively shown to the citizens and tourists and the puppet museum came to be built.

The museum facilities and collection were built based on a traditional Japanese building combined with modern beauty. After crossing the main building and exposition building connected by a corridor, customers can enjoy the garden scenery and we present them puppets. The construction site is on the heights so you can also enjoy the conjunction of the Minami Alps. In the main hall of the exposition building there is a reproduction of the Takeda Puppet company stage in Tokyo’s Takenotsuka district, on which the "Snow Child" puppets representing the company are exposed. This stage cannot only be seen from the front but also from the top to see the puppets from the puppeteer’s point of view. The number of puppets exposed is limited but by looking at them carefully, one by one, you will be drawn into the mysterious world of puppet theater.