Bunraku is a form of puppet theater that began in Osaka, Japan, in the late 1600s.

Also known as ningyō jōruri -- ningyō meaning the combination of a chanting narration and musical instrument playing and jōruri meaning puppet -- it is considered one of the most developed forms of puppetry in the world.

Bunraku plays often feature conflict between social obligations and human emotion, but some have supernatural themes that require a puppet's innocent-looking face to transform into something demonic.

The puppets are half life-sized and are carefully crafted by specialists. Three puppeteers operate each puppet, controlling its movements and bringing it to life. Mastering all the limbs and features usually takes more than two decades.

Every puppet head has multiple string levers and something called a "grip stick" that can be manipulated to make it nod and change facial expressions.

According to puppeteer Kiritake Kanjuro, these faces are meant to show the transformation of emotional states and express deep feelings like fury and jealousy.