Youkiza, an Edo Ito Ayatsuri Ningyo (traditional Japanese marionette theater) group with a history of over 380 years, has been designated a National Selected Intangible Folk Cultural Property and a Tokyo Municipal Intangible Cultural Property. Freely using its own techniques and expressive power, Youkiza will perform a play by leading contemporary theater writer/producer Wishing Chong. This is a repeat performance of a work originally written and performed in 2007.
In this play, people living in an area called Doll’s Town during the devastation of World War Two are played by puppets, and people in the postwar period looking back on that time are played by human actors. The postwar roles of traveling middle-aged puppeteers Okame and Hyottoko are performed by actual puppeteers.
This moving story depicts common people, with their weaknesses and strengths, who survive the war years. Audiences will laugh, cry and marvel at this comical yet tragic spectacle woven through the interaction of puppets and human beings.

Principal performers: Magosaburo Youki XII, Chie Youki, Ikuko Youki, Kazuma Youki, Izuna Oka and other Youkiza puppeteers
Principal personnel
Writer/producer: Wishing Chong
Music: J.A. Seazer
Puppet design: Kazunori Watanabe
Stage design: Yoko Isonuma (deceased in 2011; based on the plan for the premiere)
Stage direction: Hitoshi Yoshiki
Lighting: Takayoshi Masuda
Sound: Akame Fujita