OSAKA, Could 09 (News On Japan) –
The Osaka Shochikuza theater, which has entertained audiences in Osaka’s Dotonbori district for greater than a century by way of movies, kabuki and stay performances, will shut in June 2026 on account of growing older amenities and the excessive price of renovations.
Kabuki actor Nakamura Ganjiro, who additionally served as a kabuki advisor for the movie “Kokuho” and has carried out on the theater’s stage for a few years, spoke in regards to the emotional affect of the closure.
“When a theater disappears, it means a spot for stay performing arts disappears as nicely,” Ganjiro stated. “For Kamigata Kabuki, Osaka Shochikuza has super that means.”
He added that Dotonbori itself has modified dramatically over time.
“It was a city the place folks from close by Osaka neighborhoods got here to take pleasure in themselves, however now it has develop into a vacationer vacation spot,” he stated. “It feels just like the historical past of Dotonbori is being abruptly lower off.”
Positioned in Osaka’s Minami leisure district, Osaka Shochikuza first opened in 1923 as a movie show. Dotonbori as soon as flourished as a theater district courting again to the Edo interval, with 5 main theaters drawing crowds for kabuki and puppet theater performances.
As theaters regularly disappeared over the a long time, Shochikuza was rebuilt in 1997 into its present kind able to internet hosting kabuki and stage productions, reflecting a dedication to protect Dotonbori’s theater tradition for future generations.
Practically 30 years later, the theater turned identified not just for kabuki but in addition as a cherished venue for Kansai Junior idol performances, attracting audiences throughout generations.
Followers described the venue’s intimacy as unmatched.
“Different concert events are held at locations like Kyocera Dome or Orix Theater, however nothing compares to the closeness of Shochikuza,” one fan stated. “It seems like a second dwelling.”
In August final yr, operator Shochiku introduced the theater would shut on the finish of this month on account of deteriorating amenities and hovering alternative prices. The constructing can be scheduled for demolition.
Ganjiro stated the closure represents greater than the lack of a constructing.
“If Shochikuza disappears, it means there’ll not be a real playhouse in Dotonbori,” he stated. “I by no means imagined there could be no place left.”
Calling the theater an “ibasho,” or emotional dwelling, Ganjiro stated actors and workers had constructed their lives across the venue.
Earlier than main performances, Dotonbori historically hosted “oneri” processions, the place kabuki actors paraded by way of the streets to greet followers. The most recent procession drew enormous crowds, with kabuki supporters filling the district one closing time.
Viewers members additionally expressed concern over the cultural penalties of the closure.
“The primary time I ever noticed kabuki was right here,” one customer stated. “Shochikuza felt much less formal and extra approachable than different theaters.”
One other fan warned that Kansai might lose an necessary middle for conventional arts.
“Having one fewer place the place folks can watch kabuki year-round creates an actual sense of disaster that the tradition itself might disappear,” the fan stated.
Native enterprise homeowners who’ve labored in Dotonbori for generations additionally lamented the theater’s disappearance.
Imai, whose household has operated companies within the space for practically 200 years, recalled an period when well-known stars usually visited native eating places.
“Kabuki actors again then had been like influencers,” Imai stated. “If an actor talked about on stage that they wished udon or sukiyaki from a sure restaurant, clients would flood in afterward.”
He stated Dotonbori has reworked from a district centered on rakugo, manzai and kabuki into an space dominated by tourism and overseas guests.
“To be trustworthy, it seems like we’ve been deserted,” he stated. “I do know Shochiku made a painful determination, however a part of me nonetheless needs to say, ‘Please hold attempting.’”
For a lot of in Osaka, Shochikuza represented the guts of Dotonbori itself.
“With out Shochikuza, a whole period feels prefer it’s ending,” Ganjiro stated. “I nonetheless hope a theater will return sometime.”
With the ultimate performances set for this month, one other historic theater will disappear from Dotonbori, bringing an finish to a cultural legacy constructed over greater than 100 years.
Supply: KTV NEWS
