Kabuki@TOKYO

Tokyo is the largest entertainment city in the world.
It seems like a big mouth. However, it is true. Because there are various live entertainments in Tokyo, which is not seen anywhere else in the world.

There are no theaters performing "Noh", "Kyogen", "Rakugo", or "Kabuki" in either New York or London, but there are some in Tokyo. And you can casually watch these traditional performing arts every day. (You can also enjoy other traditional performing arts including "Gagaku", "Bunraku" and "Kumi-odori" in Tokyo, though not every day.)

In particular, Kabuki is a live entertainment which represents Edo, the former name of Tokyo. Kabuki originated in Kyoto, but it soon started being performed in Edo as well, and Kabuki has been loved by people for nearly 400 years since then.

Today, Kabuki is performed in various theaters including Kabuki-za, National Theatre of Japan, Shinbashi Enbu-jo, and Asakusa Public Hall on New Year's Day etc. Except for the beginning and the end of a month, performances are held almost every day, and Kabuki-za has been performing kabuki for 12 months.

Kabuki-za is the only theater performing Kabuki all year round in Japan (that is, in the world). Also, since there is one-act tickets (available only as the same-day ticket), you may still have a chance to watch a popular performance even if advance tickets are sold out.

It is no exaggeration to say that only the people living in Tokyo and its vicinity have privilege that they can watch Kabuki anytime they want.

In addition, not only traditional performing arts, there are lots of other live entertainments in Tokyo. So, you can always enjoy more than two entertainments in a day, such as Kabuki in the daytime and a rock concert in the evening if you have some will, money and physical strength. In fact, there are many people who enjoy two or more entertainments in a day even though they are classified in different genres.

I would like to tell those who are in Tokyo now, who are planning to come to Tokyo and are reading this page: It would be almost the same as that you only enjoy less of the fun in Tokyo than a half, that you would not watch a variety of live entertainment, including Kabuki etc. Please enjoy Tokyo and Tokyo's live entertainment.

Yuji Kubodera (Director of Theater Rights Office in Theater Sales Department, Shochiku Co., Ltd.)