Ichizo Kobayashi Hibiya who made Hibiya as the city of entertainment

Tokyo Midtown Hibiya grand opening on March 29, Toho Cinemas Hibiya (11 screen) opened in the building with 13 screen multiplex born in combination with 2 screens of Tokyo Takarazuka building underground, adjacent to the building. Movie theaters of 16 screens have been made in the city of Hibiya, in combination with the existing Toho Cinemas Chanter (3 screens).

In around 1955, in which movies had flourished, 5 movie theaters, Hibiya Cinema, Yurakuza theater, La Scala, Chiyoda theaters, and Miyukiza theater, and four demonstration theater, Tokyo Takarazuka Theater, Art Theatre, Nissay Theatre, Toho dramatic entertainment, had lined in the area. Those buildings except for Nissei Theater, were refreshed due to development, and new two theaters, the new Tokyo Takarazuka Theater, and the Theatre Creationthe, were born. Hibiya continues to live as a town of entertainment for a long time while changing shape, the birth of the new cinema complexes makes its color darker, and will likely become a town where many customers gather.

Concept of making Hibiya the city of entertainment began to founder of corporation Tokyo Takarazuka Theater (predecessor of Toho corporation), Ichizō Kobayashi. Kobayashi was succeeded in Takarazuka Shojo Kagekidan in Kansai, decided to build their own theater to stage Takarazuka in Tokyo, and established the corporation Tokyo Takarazuka Theater in August 1932. Tokyo Takarazuka Theater on January 1, 1934, gorgeously lifted the curtain Tsuki-gumi performance reviews "flowers poetry" etc. Corporation Tokyo Takarazuka Theater opened Hibiya Cinema (in February 1934), Toho Small theater (September 1934), Yurakuza (in June 1935) in Hibiya district, and affiliated Japanese theater and Imperial Theater in Yurakucho Marunouchi district, which is adjacent to Hibiya district, to create a place to serve healthy amusement across the town. Kobayashi was called it Marunouchi amusement center plan or Yurakucho amusement center plan. Dream of Kobayashi has been handed down over 86 years.
(TAMAKI Junichi Toho corporation General Affairs Department senior manager)