Barbara Curtis Adachi

Barbara Curtis Adachi (1924-2004) lived most of her life in Tokyo, where she witnessed her first Bunraku performance in 1935, at the age of eleven. Her extensive involvement with the troupe began in the 1960s and continued throughout the rest of her life. She attended over four decades of Bunraku performances, conducted over one hundred interviews of Bunraku performers and behind-the-scene craftsmen, and took thousands of photographs. Ms. Adachi lectured widely both in and out of Japan on Bunraku and wrote several books including The Voices and Hands of Bunraku (1978) and Backstage at Bunraku (1985).

Books

Articles



*Adachi used a penname, Catherine Anthony, for some newspaper articles above.