New Kabuki-za Theater Opens in Central Tokyo

Tokyo, April 2 (Jiji Press)--The new Kabuki-za theater opened in the upscale Ginza district of central Tokyo on Tuesday, attracting many fans who had been waiting since the old theater closed three years ago. Although it was raining in the capital, people stood in long queues for tickets for the day's plays, which marked the start of a year of performances to celebrate the opening of the theater. With the sound of the opening drum, a festive mood filled the theater. "We've been waiting for you," spectators shouted as the curtain was raised. In the first item of the day's three-part performance, titled "Kotobuki Iwau Kabuki no Irodori," veteran kabuki actor Sakata Tojuro performed a celebratory dance with younger-generation actors. In the following act, Bando Mitsugoro, Nakamura Kankuro and Nakamura Shichinosuke performed a dance to remember Nakamura Kanzaburo, the father of Kankuro and Shichinosuke who died last December. Spectators cheered when Kankuro's 2-year-old son, Naoya, appeared on the stage. A 49-year-old company employee who has watched kabuki for more than 25 years said: "The new theater looks neat. To boost the world of kabuki, I hope young actors will become great performers and the veterans will flourish for a long time." The new theater, which has a 29-story office building on its site, is the fifth Kabuki-za since the first was established at the current location in 1889. END