Kabuki-za (Ginza, Tokyo, Japan)

What makes this place special?

At a Glance

Kabuki-za is the principal kabuki theatre in Tokyo, in the Higashi-Ginza district, and the only one in Japan devoted solely to the art. It opened in 1889 and has been run by the Shochiku company since 1913. The current building, the fifth, opened in March 2013 as part of the GINZA KABUKIZA complex.

Kengo Kuma designed its low exterior in a Japanese Momoyama style, and the auditorium has 1,964 seats and an 18-metre hanamichi walkway. Four front curtains by Nihonga painters reflect the seasons. The fifth floor of the office tower above the theatre has a gallery and a rooftop garden, and a basement shopping area sells kabuki goods, souvenirs and boxed meals. Both can be entered without a theatre ticket.