Bungorô on Stage, Shôwa period, 1953

Dated 1953, this print captures the Bunraku master Yoshida Bungoro in full performance on stage, documenting a specific aspect of Japan's intangible theatrical heritage during the early postwar Showa period. Bunraku puppet theater, with its elaborately costumed ningyo and the visible presence of black-robed puppeteers, offered Sekino rich graphic material — layered figures, dramatic costuming, and intense controlled gesture. Sekino's onstage theater prints typically use a compressed picture plane and strong diagonal organization to convey the tension of live performance. The 1953 date places this work in a productive period when Sekino was actively documenting traditional arts as a subject of cultural preservation.