noun
head puppeteer; operator of the head
In traditional Japanese puppetry (ningyō jōruri/bunraku), the lead puppeteer who manipulates the head and right hand of the main puppet. This is a specialized term.
文楽では、頭遣いが人形の表情を決める重要な役割を担う。
In bunraku, the head puppeteer plays the crucial role of determining the puppet's facial expressions.
Standard kanji spelling for this specialized term.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling sometimes seen in explanatory contexts.
Compound of 頭 (kashira, 'head') and 遣い (tsukai, 'user/operator'), literally 'head operator'.