Manjusaka

Manjusaka (red spider lilies) are mysterious red flowers that make autumn scene vivid in Japan.  The color, the figure, and the poison of the flowers inspired various folklores; they are called the flowers of ominous and fortune.  In the show, a lily is compared to a young prostitute who was doomed to live a painful life.  Without any words, her sorrow is presented through movement and dance.  Michika IIDA created the puppet for her master Hoichi OKAMOTO on the second anniversary of his death (sankaiki).  With tune of tsugaru-jamisen (string instrument), the bewitching puppet in beautiful kimono costume acts via manipulation method directly taught by Hoichi OKAMOTO.  The unfortunate character prays for better life and her wish is symbolized in the dozens of small dolls that appear in her red undergarment; the dolls are sarukko (baby monkeys) in tsurushi-kazari (hanging ornaments) that are one of Japanese traditional crafts.