Guidance
A Sanctuary for Kabuki
Kabuki is a traditional Japanese performing art that has been recognized in Japan as an Intangible Cultural Property and by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage. Since it was built in 1889 in the area of Tokyo called “Kobikicho,” while overcoming many disasters, for long years has presented performances of traditional theatre that always incorporate the spirit of the times.
The fifth building of Kabukiza takes as its guiding concept the idea of “combining the passing on of tradition and new creation.” The building preserves the feeling of the previous buildings, both inside and out, but incorporates the latest in stage technology to be the only theatre in the world specializing in kabuki that emphasizes ease of use and functionality.
By incorporating the Kabukiza Gallery and Rooftop Garden, Kabukiza uses kabuki as the core to show Japan’s traditional culture to the world.
Format of Performances
Kabukiza exclusively performs kabuki with a new program every month. Each month’s program is usually divided into a matinee and evening program, but sometimes there are three different programs.
The matinee usually begins at 11 and the evening program at 16:30, although occasionally there are some changes.
One program usually contains three or four separate plays and including intermission time, lasts for about 4 hours. (When there are three programs, the running time of one program is shorter.)
■ Single Act Tickets
It is possible to buy tickets for just one section of a program. This is perfect for people watching kabuki for the first time. The seats for these tickets are on the 4th floor.
Experience Japanese Culture:
The Kabukiza Gallery Passage on the 4th and 5th floors is a charming space to enjoy the atmosphere of kabuki and experience Japanese culture. There is the Japanese Rooftop Garden, the Goemon Staircase with a close-up look at the giant roof of the theatre, models of past Kabukiza buildings and pictures of famous kabuki actors.
Shopping:
In “Kobikicho Square,” directly accessible from the Higashi Ginza shopping center, there are shops and stalls and always a festival atmosphere. There are Japanese gifts and sweets that constantly change with the season. There is also a gift shop on the 5th floor, full of goods with kabuki characters and popular kabuki actors.
Restaurants and Cafes:
In “Kobikicho Square” (B1), there are bento boxed meals and drinks to enjoy during the performance. There are also places to eat and it is a perfect place for people to meet before the performance. The Japanese tearoom on the 5th floor has a beautiful view of the Japanese garden and it is a perfect place to relax and enjoy matcha green tea.
The Ginza Kabukiza Disaster Evacuation Point, “Kobikicho Otasuke Kuramae Hirokoji”:
B2F
Kobikicho Square:
When you come out of the gates of the Higashi Ginza subway station, the first thing that you see is an enormous red paper lantern that marks Kobikicho Square. You can buy tickets for kabuki and there are shops run by Kabukiza, places to eat, a coffee shop. and a convenience store. Also, there are rows and rows of stalls and carts with a constantly changing variety of kabuki goods and souvenir gifts. Every day is a festival day!
Just a ride up the escalator takes you to the front door of Kabukiza theatre.
1 Kabuki Souvenir shop "Kaomise"
Phone: 03-3545-6563
Hours: 9:30 to 6:30
Buy souvenirs of your day at kabuki with kabuki goods, soft ice cream, freshly made kintsuba sweets.
2 Restaurant "Kabuki Chaya"
Phone: 03-3545-6573
Hours: 10 AM to 6:30 PM (last order 6:15)
Relax from theatre viewing or shopping, with noodles, curry and a variety of sweets.
3 Grocery “Hanamichi”
Phone: 03-3545-6566
Hours: 8 AM to 20 minutes after the end of the Kabukiza evening performance.
Located at the entrance to Kobikicho Square, you can buy food and souvenirs and there is also freshly baked bread. It’s open after the performance as well!
4 Obento Shop “Yagura”
Phone: 03-3545-6576
Hours: 9:30 to 6:00
This shop stocks around 30 different varieties of obento boxed lunches from famous stores. You can buy your obento here before entering the theatre.
5 Tully's Kabukiza Store
Phone: 03-3547-3370
Hours: Weekdays 7:30 AM – 10:00 PM (last order 9:30 PM)
Saturdays, Sundays and National Holidays: 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM (last order 9:30 PM)
This shop has a unique kabuki atmosphere with a display of roof tiles from the old Kabukiza and special kabuki items on the menu. This is Tully’s 500th store.
6 Seven-Eleven Kabukiza Store
Phone: 03-3547-7500
Hours: 7 AM to 11 PM
The interior is decorated with the circular crest of Kabukiza with a design of a phoenix. There is a wide variety of all kinds of goods.
※ There may be some difference in operating hours on days without performances.
1F / 2F / 3F
1 Restaurant “Hanakago”
Phone: 03-3545-6820
You can enjoy a menu with a wide variety of items.
2 Souvenir Shops “The Norengai”
Including the popular “Mede-tai Yaki” stall making fresh tai yaki, and souvenirs of sweets and all kinds of accessories.
3 Restaurant “Tokyo Kitcho”
Phone: 03-3542-2450 (you can call to make reservations 10 AM – 17 PM)
Enjoy the food of a famous ryotei restaurant.
Phone: 03-3545-6820
Spend your intermission dining in a quiet relaxing spot.
5 Cafe “Hinoki”
Phone: 03-3545-6574
Premium coffee and cakes with a special seasonal menu.
6 Souvenir shop “Kobikicho”
Phone: 03-3545-6557
To your right as you enter the theatre, there are kabuki goods related to the plays on the program and all kinds of sweets and souvenirs, some that you can only purchase here!
5F
Kabukiza Gallery & Garden
In the Kabukiza Gallery and Garden, you can look at kabuki history and try out kabuki props for yourself.
In the “Kabukiza Gallery” you can touch the sets and props used in kabuki yourself.
The Souvenir Shop “Rakuza” features books and goods from your favorite kabuki stars, and you can have tea or coffee as you look out on a Japanese garden that changes constantly in the four seasons and talk about the theater. Whether a newcomer or an expert, there is something for everyone to enjoy in this kabuki experience space.
1 4th Floor Corridor “Memories of the Kabukiza Theatre”
10: 00-19: 00
You can enter for free and look at the pictures of famous kabuki actors of the past and models of the previous buildings of Kabukiza.
Entrance to 4th Floor Corridor
2 Goemon Staircase
10: 00-17: 00
There is a staircase painted a bright cinnabar red that goes from the Rooftop Garden to the 4th floor passageway. It passes right by the great roof of Kabukiza, making you feel like a kabuki character viewing the land he rules. You can see the roof tiles from close up and on one of them, the phoenix of the theatre crest faces the opposite direction. If you can find it, it might bring good luck!
3 Rooftop Garden
Hours: 10:00 – 19:00 (admission free) closed in bad weather
There is a Japanese garden on top of the roof of the Kabukiza Theatre enjoyable in all four seasons. There is the “Okuni Sakura” weeping cherry tree named after the woman who began kabuki and maple trees, a stone monument to the forebearers of kabuki and a stone lantern and tsukubai water basin that belonged to the playwright Kawatake Mokuami.
4 Japanese Tea House “Jugetsudo Ginza Kabukiza”
TEL ： 03-6278-7626
Phone: 03-6278-7626
Hours:
Weekdays: 10:00 to 18:00 (L.O. 17:30)
Saturdays, Sundays, National Holidays: 10:00 – 18:30 (L.O. 18:00)
You can leisurely enjoy green tea and sweets and light food in a space under 3,000 pieces of bamboo overlooking the Rooftop Garden.
5 Kabukiza Gallery (5th Floor)
TEL ： 03-3545-6886
Phone: 03-3545-6886
Hours: 10:00 – 17:30 (last entrance 17:00)
There are exhibits from all kinds of angles to make kabuki more accessible, for example with props and other objects that can be seen from close-up and even touched (admission charged).
6 Kabuki Souvenir Shop “Rakuza”
Phone: 03-3545-6568
Hours: 10:00 – 18:00
Here you can buy books and DVDs by kabuki actors, photographs from previous Kabukiza performances and goods from collaborations of popular characters with kabuki actors.
7 Ginza CBTS Kabukiza Test Center
Phone: 03-6264-3701
Hours: 10:00 – 18:00
Here you can take all kinds of qualifying tests given by the CBTS (computer-based test solutions) company. Here you can also learn about the history and culture of Kabukiza.
This is an Inari Shrine to pray for the success of a production and the safety of the theatre. There is a ceremony to announce a production to the god of the shrine held every opening and closing day.
You can get a stamped paper showing that you have visited the shrine at the souvenir shop “Rakuza” on the 5th floor. (300 yen per sheet, tax included.
INFORMATION
How to Buy Tickets
http://www1.ticket-web-shochiku.com/t/
Buy your tickets here!
■ Tickets can be bought by telephone over Ticket Purchase Shochiku (10: 00-18: 00)
Navi Dial 0570-000-489 or (03)-6745-0888
■ Theatre Ticket Windows (10:00 – 18:00):
Kabuki tickets for all theatres can be bought at the ticket windows at Tokyo: Kabukiza, Shinbashi Enbujo, Kyoto: Minamiza, Osaka: Osaka Shochikuza.
※ After purchase, no refunds or seat changes.
■ For other inquiries such as group sales (for groups of over 30 people), lost and found, etc. contact:
Phone: 03-3545-6800
FAX: 03-3545-6890
Earphone Guide Simultaneous Commentary
Audio commentaries (at Kabukiza in Japanese only) can be rented that explain the characters and historical background simultaneous with the action on stage to make the plays easy to understand.
They can be rented at the “Earphone Guide Counter” on the 1st floor.
Earphone Guide Home Page
https://www.eg-gm.jp/e_guide/index.html
G-Marc Guide Subtitles
Portable receivers can be rented with titles that explain the plot and difficult words in the text in Japanese. English is also available. The receivers can be attached to the back of the seat in front of you or hand-held.
They can be rented at the “G-Marc Guide Counter” on the 1st floor.
G-Marc Home Page
https://www.eg-gm.jp/g_mark/personal.html
Coin Locker / B1
There are coin lockers in the basement of the theatre.
Small: ¥100 Large: ¥200
(for use only while viewing the performance)
Diaper Changing Space:
B2 Kobikicho Square 5th F. Kabukiza Gallery Corridor
There are multi-purpose toilets in the basement and on the 5th floor with facilities for changing diapers.
Credit Cards You Can Use:
With most stores in Kabukiza and Kobikicho Square, you can use the following credit cards, e-money or mobile phone payments:
Regional Information Corner / Money Exchange Service (B2):
■ Regional Information Corner:
You can get information on this month’s programs and about nearby locations in Chuo Ward. There is also a free WiFi service that anyone can use called “G Free (Ginza Free WiFi).”
■ Money Exchange Service:
You can exchange 13 different forms of currency including American dollars and Euros for Japanese yen.
Official Home Pages and SNS
■ Kabukiza Home Page:
https://www.kabuki-za.co.jp/
■ Kabuki Site “Kabuki Bito”:
https://www.kabuki-bito.jp/
■ Kabukiza LINE Account:
Sign up as a friend and get the latest information!
■ Kobikicho SNS
・ Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/kobikichoSQ/
・ Twitter
https://twitter.com/kobikichosq
・ Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/kobikichoSQ/
Access
■ Address: Kabukiza Theatre, Ginza 4-12-15, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061 JAPAN
■ Directions by Train:
From the Higashi Ginza Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line and the Toei Asakusa Line, directly connected to Exit 3.
From the Ginza Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Marunouchi Line and Hibiya Line, a 5-minute walk from Exit A7.
From the JR and Tokyo Metro Tokyo Station, 10 minutes by taxi.
■ Directions by Car:
4 minutes from the Ginza Exit of the Metropolitan Expressway.
GINZA KABUKIZSA Parking
| Hours: | Staffed 24 hours |
| Number of Parking Spaces: | 272 |
| Parking Fees: |
¥300 per 30 minutes (8 AM to 10 PM) |
| Vehicle Size: | Normal car: total length = 5 m, total width = 1.9 m, total height = 2.0 m. Loading vehicles: total length = 5.3 m, total width = 1.9 m, total height = 2.8 m. |
※ There is a discount for patrons watching kabuki.
※ There may be some vehicles that can’t be accommodated.
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