Awa Jurobe Yashiki

This facility offers visitors a hands-on introduction to Awa Ningyo Joruri, a traditional Tokushima performing art with Approx. 400 years of history and a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. As its name suggests, it stands on the former residence site of Bando Jurobe, a village headman from the Edo period.

Awa Ningyo Joruri is performed daily in a theater set within shrine grounds and designed to evoke the “rural stages,” of which more than 80 remain in Tokushima Prefecture. Performances include Japanese and English subtitles, while Chinese, French, and Korean subtitles can be viewed on visitors’ own smartphones. With its distinctive technique of three puppeteers operating a single puppet, the narrator’s storytelling, and the rich sound of the shamisen, the performance unfolding right before your eyes is sure to draw you in.

The on-site exhibition room introduces the history of Awa Joruri and stage performing arts through displays of puppets, costumes, tools, and other materials. Visitors can also try operating a puppet themselves. The grounds also feature Tsurukame no Niwa, a Japanese garden preserved from the Edo period, where you can fully experience a traditional Japanese atmosphere.
*The facility is scheduled to be closed from October 27, 2026 to early April 2027 for renovation work.