The is a theatre in the Ginza neighborhood of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

, Japan. It is a major

kabuki is a classical form of Japanese dance- drama. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily-stylised performances, the often-glamorous costumes worn by performers, and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. Kabuki is though ...

venue, though other types of performances take place there as well.

History

The theatre was originally built in 1925 to provide a venue for the ''Azuma Odori''

geisha {{Culture of Japan, Traditions, Geisha {{nihongo, Geisha, 芸者 ({{IPAc-en, ˈ, ɡ, eɪ, ʃ, ə; {{IPA-ja, ɡeːɕa, lang), also known as {{nihongo, , 芸子, geiko (in Kyoto and Kanazawa) or {{nihongo, , 芸妓, geigi, are a class of female J ...

dance performances, by Kawamura Tokutarō, manager of the Morikawa geisha house, who raised two million

yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (US$) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the e ...

in capital and established the Shinbashi Enbujō Corporation.�
新橋演舞場について
」 (''shinbashi enbujō ni tsuite'', "About the Shinbashi Enbujō"). ''Kabuki-bito.'' 2006-2008: Shochiku Co. Ltd. Accessed 29 October 2008. The site, by chance, was formerly that of the

Matsudaira clan The was a Japanese samurai clan that descended from the Minamoto clan. It originated in and took its name from Matsudaira village, in Mikawa Province (modern-day Aichi Prefecture). During the Sengoku period, the chieftain of the main line of t ...

residence which serves as the setting for the kabuki play "'' Kagamiyama Kokyō no Nishikie''." Construction began in 1923, and was halted following the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, but was completed in 1925. The theatre entered into a contract in 1940 with

Shōchiku () is a Japanese film and kabuki production and distribution company. It also produces and distributes anime films, in particular those produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks (which has a long-time partnership—the company released most, if not ...

,''Kabuki techō: Kabuki Official Data Book 2008''. Nihon Haiyū Kyōkai (Japan Actors' Association). 2008: Tokyo. p312. a major film and theatre production company, today the chief kabuki production company. Since becoming associated with Shochiku, the theatre has regularly seen productions ranging from modern drama and musicals to the '' shinpa'' (New School) genre developed in the

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

, as well as kabuki. The

Kabuki-za in Ginza is the principal theater in Tokyo for the traditional ''kabuki'' drama form. History The Kabuki-za was originally opened by a Meiji era journalist, Fukuchi Gen'ichirō. Fukuchi wrote kabuki dramas in which Ichikawa Danjūrō IX and ot ...

, located several blocks away, is the chief kabuki theatre in the world. It plays somewhat the role of a storehouse of tradition, and its stage is usually dominated by the top star actors in the genre. By contrast, many more experimental forms within the kabuki genre, as well as plays starring younger actors, are performed at the Shinbashi Enbujō. These include the Super Kabuki form pioneered by Ichikawa Ennosuke III, which incorporates Western music, Chinese, Indian, and other non-Japanese stylistic influences, and over-the-top stage special effects beyond that seen in typical kabuki, and the performances featuring the younger generation of kabuki stars. The building was destroyed in the Allied

bombing of Tokyo The was a series of firebombing air raids by the United States Army Air Force during the Pacific campaigns of World War II. Operation Meetinghouse, which was conducted on the night of 9–10 March 1945, is the single most destructive bombin ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, but was reconstructed in 1948. Major renovations were undertaken in 1982, incorporating technological upgrades, extra seating, and expanding to take over the nearby Nissan Motors Building. The Shinbashi Enbujō was the main kabuki theater from 2010 until March 2013 while the Kabuki-za theater was undergoing construction.Kabuki-za to be rebuilt from 2010
" ''

Yomiuri Shimbun The (lit. ''Reading-selling Newspaper'' or ''Selling by Reading Newspaper'') is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five major newspapers in Japan; the other four are ...

''. 26 October 2008. Accessed 28 October 2008.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shinbashi Enbujo 1925 establishments in Japan Kabuki theatres Buildings and structures in Chūō, Tokyo Buildings and structures in Japan destroyed during World War II Ginza Theatres in Tokyo Theatres completed in 1925