Kabuki Theater in Tokyo at the Kabukiza Theater – A Guide

If you’re looking for great Kabuki theater in Tokyo, you’ve come to the right place!

I have seen several different kinds of performances in my life: an open air Turandot opera in Verona, Kecak Dance in Bali, Haka in Rotorua, and even Little Shop of Horrors on Broadway.

But attending a full Kabuki show in Tokyo is one of my favorite experiences.

I went to the Kabukiza Theater – a kabuki theater in Tokyo, and the largest in Japan.  This Japanese theater sits atop of one of the most prized pieces of real estate in the world, Ginza – Tokyo’s upscale shopping district.

It has a long history of existence – and destruction – since the 1880s.

Yuko bought the tickets as a surprise for my visit. She said the majority of non-Japanese visitors buy tickets for an act or two. The truly Japanese stay at the kabuki play for the whole five hours!

What is Kabuki theater

Japanese kabuki is a tradition of art performance dating back hundreds of years.  It involves singing, kabuki dance, and acting. Some people translate it as “the bizarre shows” – referring to the over the top costumes and kabuki make-up. 

You would recognize it right away upon seeing a person with a ghostly white face dressed in a Geisha-like costumes. Kabuki has even has been portrayed in several classic Japanese paintings from the 1700s.

Many of these famous works now hang in the nearby Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.

My favorite part of the show was the beautiful design of the stage – both artfully and mechanically- as it needed to be assembled and disassembled quickly and shifted throughout the acts.

Young men in kabuki

It started in the early 1600s when they banned women from performing. The all-male group assigned petite male kabuki actors or actors with higher-pitched voices dress in kabuki costumes and pose as women.

Fast forward to 2016, and the all-male cast is now a tradition.  Nobody in Japan seems to care much about this gender issue anymore.

Like actors in Hollywood or on Broadway, the Kabuki actor is in a very cut-throat business. 

A lot of these actors come from family dynasties and run it as a family business.

No photography during kabuki

While it was not written anywhere, I was approached by an attendant after snapping a few quick phone pictures during the act. I thought it would be OK to take a few without the flash.

The attendant didn’t speak English, so after talking to me in Japanese with no luck, my friend Yuko stepped in to translate.

She was extremely polite and apologetic. 

I acknowledged my mistake and the show went on. About ten minutes later, that same attendant came back and politely asked me to delete all of the pictures I took. 

I deleted one. That seemed to satisfy her and she left.

Bring a Bento Box

Kabuki theater in Tokyo – indeed, Kabuki anywhere – is very unusual in so many ways.  Our matinee was to start at 11 AM and last for five hours. 

Surprised by the length, I confirmed this with Yuko, and she nodded with glee.

Although she grew up in Japan, this was also her first time attending Kabuki theater.

Five hours is a long time. That meant it overlapped with meal time.  ear not – the tradition of Kabuki also includes a bento box, which you can bring with you.

If you prefer, you can buy one at the theater for a reasonable price. 

Let them know the bento type you prefer in advance.

The show’s longest interval was 30 minutes. The lights came on and everyone began unwrapping their bento boxes. We stood out a little because we didn’t have the proper bento box.

We brought a few things from the Tsukiji Fish Market and purchased our drinks from the nearby vendor.

Kabuki Theater in Tokyo: Order Taiyaki

Taiyaki is a one of many Japanese sweets. The fish-shaped confections are made with either pancake or waffle batter filled with sweetened azuki red bean paste.

They don’t taste very sweet, unlike typical American pancakes or Belgian waffles.

For my taste, they are the perfect portion size for a nice snack.

The Taiyaki here has a famously unique design, with two different colors of azuki paste – red and white – the colors of the Japanese flag.

Locals line up as soon as they enter the theater to get a few of these snacks for the show. 

They even have a queue for it, including one of the few signs written in English so non-Japanese speakers know where to queue (or NOT) to get their food.

Kabuki in English

Ideally you want to concentrate onto the stage for the dramatic Kabuki makeup and performance, as well as the wonderful arts and decor of the stage.

After all, Kabukiza is probably the best Kabuki Theater in Tokyo.

Assuming that you don’t speak Japanese. In order to fully appreciate the Kabuki show as a whole, a translator device will be a very helpful thing to have.

How to get a translator device at the Kabuki Tokyo National Theater? You need an ID (unless you are with a Japanese citizen who will act as a guarantor), and the device is free – no deposit required.  

The translator device does a great job of timing the acts with their translation.

All in all, a wonderful time. And after a long day sitting, I went back to my Japanese Capsule hotel to relax!

How much is a Kabuki Performance?

There are a few different types of Kabuki Theater tickets that you can choose from. All depends on the show and the seat location, as well as to whether you’re attending the whole or partial sessions of the Kabuki show.

There are a few sections where you can purchase the cheap Kabuki tickets.

You can browse the official Kabuki tickets Box Office site. It is easy to navigate, and it offers several Kabuki performances around Japan, including the Kabukiza Theater in Tokyo.

For more on Tokyo Travel

For Tokyo travel tips, see creative Travel Guide’s Tokyo Travel page. And also, check out these amazing list of Best 50 Things To Do In Tokyo.

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