Tamao Yoshida is at the summit of the world of Bunraku puppet theater, one of Japan’s classical stage arts. Going beyond the mere transmission of puppetry techniques, he has added original and creative insight in puppet movement, with a virtuosity cultivated over the course of many years through a deep knowledge of the scripts and essence of the roles. Capable of emotional depictions that surpass the abilities of human actors, Mr. Tamao has contributed to Bunraku’s current status as the world’s most highly developed and refined form of puppet theater.