浄瑠璃

• Reading: じょうるり
• Romaji: jōruri
• Kanji breakdown: 浄 (jō) — pure, clean; 瑠璃 (ruri) — lapis lazuli (a legendary princess name)
• Pronunciation: /dʑoː.ɾɯ.ɾi/

Meaning

Jōruri; the traditional Japanese narrative chanting performed to shamisen accompaniment, central to bunraku puppet theatre.

A performing art in which a chanter (太夫, tayū) narrates a dramatic story to the accompaniment of the shamisen. It is central to bunraku (文楽), the puppet theatre tradition. The playwright Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653–1725) is considered the Shakespeare of jōruri, writing celebrated works such as 曽根崎心中. The style of chanting is called 義太夫節 (Gidayū-bushi).

Examples

1. 浄瑠璃は三味線の伴奏に合わせて語られる日本の伝統的な語り芸である。 Jōruri is a traditional Japanese narrative art performed to shamisen accompaniment.
2. 近松門左衛門が書いた浄瑠璃の作品は、今日も文楽の舞台で上演されている。 The jōruri works written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon are still performed on the bunraku stage today.
3. 初めて浄瑠璃を聴いた外国人客が、その語りの迫力に圧倒されたと語った。 A foreign visitor who heard jōruri for the first time said they were overwhelmed by the power of the narration.

Usage Guide

Context: traditional theatre, bunraku, Edo culture

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

The name derives from a medieval legend of Princess 浄瑠璃 (Jōruri), whose tale was set to music and narrated in performance. The term came to denote the entire genre of accompanied narrative chanting, particularly as it developed with the shamisen in the early Edo period.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Cultural enthusiasts