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Japan is situated in northeastern Asia between the North Pacific and the Sea of Japan. The area of Japan is 377,873 square kilometers, nearly equivalent to Germany and Switzerland combined or slightly smaller than California. Japan consists of four major islands, surrounded by more than 4,000 smaller islands.

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Bunraku

	Bunraku is the traditional Japanese puppet theater, in which puppets are skillfully manipulated to act out a narrative (called jôruri) recited to the accompaniment of the shamisen.


	There are usually three puppeteers for each puppet. One is responsible for the expression on the puppet's face and for its right arm and hand, and is called omozukai.The next operates the puppet's left arm and hand, and any props it is carrying and is called hidarizukai; and the third moves the puppet's legs and is called ashizukai.


	The puppets consist of a head (kashira), shoulder-pieces (kata-ita), a trunk (dô), and legs and arms (té-ashi). Various mechanisms operate to give the puppet an extremely lifelike appearance on the stage.