Kabuki-za Theater

Kabuki-za
4-12-15 Ginza
Tokyo, Japan
Phone: 03/5565-6000 or 03/3541-3131

The best place to see Kabuki is at the Kabuki-za, built especially for this purpose, with its _hanamichi_
(runway) passing diagonally through the audience to the revolving stage. Built originally in 1925, the
Kabuki-za was destroyed in an air raid in 1945 and rebuilt in the identical style in 1951. Matinees
usually begin at 11 and end at 4; evening performances, at 4:30, end around 9. Reserved seats are
expensive and hard to come by on short notice; for a mere •800 to •1,000, however, you can buy an
unreserved ticket that allows you to see one act of a play from the topmost gallery. The gallery is
cleared after each act, but there's nothing to prevent you from buying another ticket. Bring binoculars
-- the gallery is far from the stage. Call by 6 PM the day preceding performance for reservations.
www.shochiku.co.jp. Subway: Hibiya and Toei Asakusa lines, Higashi-Ginza Eki (Exit 3). (Source:
Fodors)