have been remade over the years. For generations, membership in the Tonda Troupe was restricted to men from the four families who had been traditionally associated with the theater, but in the 1970s the troupe began to welcome both men and women from outside those families, and in 1993, the Tonda Puppets became the first traditional puppet troupe in Japan to admit a non-Japanese member. A theater building, the Tonda Puppet Hall (pictured above right), containing a full stage, as well as rehearsal and meeting spaces, was built for the Troupe in 1991 by the government of Shiga Prefecture. The Tonda Troupe is currently headed by Hidehiko Abe, who traces his ancestry back seven generations to one of the founding members of the troupe. References 冨田人形こぼれ話, 早崎 観縁／著, 1985 Bunraku Puppet troupes Tourist attractions in Shiga Prefecture Theatres in Japan Nagahama, Shiga Buildings and structures in Shiga Prefecture 1830s establishments in Japan