TaiwanPlus and Fuji TV present “Next Gen Masters: Re-imagining Kabuki and Taiwanese Glove Puppetry,” a new cross-cultural documentary that brings together two of East Asia’s celebrated traditional theatrical art forms to explore a shared question: how can centuries-old traditions evolve to connect with new generations without losing their core essence?
For the first time, Onoe Kikugoro VIII and Onoe Kikunosuke VI, a father and son from Otowa-ya, one of the most celebrated lineages in Japanese Kabuki, travel overseas together, coming to Taiwan to explore this very question.
With more than 400 years of history, Kabuki has long been shaped by traditions passed down through generations. Taiwanese glove puppetry, or Budaixi, likewise has a history spanning around 300 years. Yet both art forms have found new ways to reach contemporary audiences. In Taiwan, glove puppetry has expanded from traditional performance into television and digital media, incorporating visual effects, new storytelling techniques, and collaborations that have brought the art form to entirely new audiences.
During their journey through Taiwan, the father and son discover different approaches to preserving and reinventing tradition. At Pili Puppet Theatre, they see how glove puppetry has evolved into a cross-generational form of cultural content through the combination of traditional performance, visual effects, and digital technology. They also meet 95-year old master puppeteer Chen Hsi-Huang, gaining a closer understanding of the painstaking skills behind the art and the generations of masters and apprentices who have kept them alive, being deeply impacted by Chen’s slogan to “continually pursue and refine one’s art!”
The journey also takes them beyond the theatre, giving them the chance to taste both the nostalgic flavors of Taiwan’s night markets and the new ways in which contemporary chefs are reinterpreting traditional cuisine, offering further inspiration on how cultural heritage can preserve memories while continuing to embrace new ideas.
TaiwanPlus Producer, Morris Chen remarked “there is always a sense of excitement when two cultures collide, but when traditions are combined with a desire to innovate, the results can be inspirational. That is certainly the case in this program!”
Jessie Shih, head of programming at TaiwanPlus was similarly enthusiastic, pointing out that “international co-production always opens doors of possibility and we are honored to continue working with Fuji TV. We believe that just as the characters in the documentary learn from one another, our audiences will be similarly inspired as they participate on this cultural journey.”
Fuji TV’s Executive Producer, Akira Nishimura also commented that “this program has taken our collaboration with TaiwanPlus to the next level. We are delighted through this program, to explore the similarities between Kabuki and Taiwanese glove puppetry and the possibilities that emerge when two traditions learn from one another. We believe viewers in Japan, Taiwan and overseas will be captivated.”
“Next Gen Masters: Re-imagining Kabuki and Taiwanese Glove Puppetry” is co-produced by TaiwanPlus and Fuji Television and is available to view on the TaiwanPlus website, app and YouTube Channel.
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