Kabuki-za Theatre - Chuo City

As a foreigner, I can say this is one of the most internationally accessable live shows. Period. They offer small tablets for rent that actually provide subtitles to the action. My tour guide recommended that we go and this was one of the few attraction he actually paid for a ticket to out of his own money and joined us. Well worth it. We entered through the walk-in line and saw a single act. If I ever return to Japan, I will be arriving to see an entire performance.

Came here a few years ago but since then it has been completely refurbished, and very impressive it is too. Interesting gallery exhibits provide a very brief history of Kabuki. And the performances.. simply stunning. Runs over 4 hours including intervals, and text based translation devices are available in English. Highly recommended, a magical experience..

Beautiful Kabuki theatre in Ginza, at the heart of Tokyo.

This review is before COVID, I hope this environment could be back soon! Kabuki is a traditional stage drama performed only by men with lively songs and music. It is characterized by a combination of rhythmical words, dynamic dancing, elaborate costumes and make-up, and stage sets such as revolving stage. Kabukiza Theater at Ginza, Tokyo, was opened in April 2013 after renovation. If you would like to watch Kabuki just for your experience, there is a way to watch Single Act at the theater. (We say Hitomaku-mi in Japanese.) Single Act tickets allow you to purchase tickets on the day without reservations, directly at the Box Office located on the ground level of the Kabukiza Theatre. The price is about between JPY1,000 to JPY2,000, which depends on the running time, and the time is about between 40 minutes to 1.5 hour. Go to Single Act Box Office located on the left side of the main entrance to Kabukiza Theatre on the ground level, and stand in line. Single Act tickets will be sold on the day of the performance, and seats are not guaranteed. So you should go there in advance. One person can purchase only 1 ticket for each part, so you cannot buy the ticket for somebody else not in the line. Tickets can be purchased for consecutive parts in the same play. The tickets are first come, first served. You can buy the ticket only by cash. There are approximately 96 Seats and 60 Standing Places for the Single Act located on the fourth floor of the auditorium. Tickets are individually numbered. Once you get on the lobby of fourth floor, the staff will call out the numbers to allow you to enter the auditorium. Keep your seat then. (You might not be able to keep the seat if the number is later numbers.) You have to be at the fourth floor at the latest 20 minutes before the play time. Earphone-Guide is also available for the single play. The guide provides the translation of the story and lyrics, and the explanation related to the story, music, dance, actors and so on. I am sure that you can enjoy Kabuki much!

Lovely old building. Seating good with no restricted views from people in front. Acting and sets very good. What lets it down is the lack of subtitles on a screen - foreigners will find it difficult follow the story which then becomes long drawn out and boring. Even Japanese can get an audio set. In this day and age, a sub-title screen should not be an issue.

Kabuki should not be an option for anyone in Japan. It should be mandatory. The amount of time, preparation, and level of performance on display makes this a "Must see" for everyone. Personally, I would advise buying the slightly more expensive seats. However, I don't think there is a bad seat in the venue. Also, the headphones provide a Japanese only perspective to the performance. However, they're optional. Enjoy!

Although a magnificent old building, good seating with no restricted views (nor of people in front), well performed and stage settings, it is let down by having no rolling subtitles. Even Japanese get an audio (pay) so for a foreigner, the plays can get tedious without knowing what is going on. The excuse of Covid is ludicrous.

The staff were very attentive. It was a nice place. The 3/F toilets get a long line during the intermission. I’m not sure why very few people think of heading the to the 2/F toilets instead. Not much else to say; you just come here to watch the Kabuki and that’s it. Oh of course, it’s a little difficult to appreciate what you’re watching if you can’t understand the language.