began in the 16th century. Puppets and bunraku were used in Japanese theatre as early as the Nō plays. medieval records prove the use of puppets in noh plays too. The puppets were 3- to 4-foot-tall (0.91 to 1.52 m) and the dolls were manipulated by puppeteers in full view of the audience
Yose
-was a popular form of spoken theatre in the Edo period. The term is the shortened form of Hito yose seki (人寄せ席), roughly "Where people sit together". Towards the end of the Edo period, there were several hundred theatres, about one per district (町, chō).
Kabuki
-combines music, drama, and dance. It uses wild costumes and intense choreography. Until the 1680s, real swords were used in sword fights.
