Osaka is where Bunraku puppetry flourished during the seventeenth century and performances are still held at the National Bunraku Theatre (tel 06/6212-2531), Namba, in January, April, June, July, August and November at 11am and 4pm. Tickets (price depends on performance) sell out quickly, but you can try at the theatre box office, a three-minute walk from exit 7 of Nipponbashi Station.
The place to catch Kabuki plays is the handsomely restored Osaka Shochiku-za (tel 06/6214-2211), five minutes' walk north of Namba Station, beside the Dotombori canal. Tickets start at ¥4200. If you're interested in sampling the more difficult No plays, the Osaka No Hall (tel 06/6373-1726), near Nakazakicho Station on the Tanimachi line, or a short walk east of Hankyu Umeda Station, often holds free performances on weekends and national holidays, usually beginning around 9.30am. Full details of all traditional arts performances appear in the free quarterly booklet Meet Osaka , available at all the tourist offices, and in the magazine Kansai Time Out.