The Last Day of Kabuki-za

歌舞伎座、さようなら。

Last Friday, I paid visit to an historical landmark in Tokyo.  At last, the weather is getting warmer, and we can all enjoy time outside under skies without clouds.  They say this is the land of the rising sun, after all.  (If you’re patient, it’ll rise eventually.)

Walking from Tokyo station, down in Ginza, I stopped by the Kabuki-za.  It has been the most famous kabuki theatre in Tokyo since 1889.  Kabuki is a traditional form of drama play involving Japanese folklore in which all characters, even female, are played by men.

The theatre went through rough times.  It has been destroyed three times during the first half of the 20th century.  A fire caused by poor electricity wiring, the Great Kanto earthquake, and even the Allied bombing during World War II got the best of it.  Still, every time, it has been rebuilt better than its preceding construction, all in spirit of kabuki.  (The article on Wikipedia about Kabuki-za has a nice collection of historical drawings and photos of the theatre depicting its reconstructions.)

Last Friday, the Kabuki-za made way for urbanisation.  April 30th, 2010 was the last day this testament of kabuki history was opened to the public after four months of farewell performances.  Crowds gathered around to take pictures of its last moments before it is greeted by the wreck ball next month.  A new theatre complex will take its spot with a facade to be made in honour of what will be replaced.

For the rest of my afternoon in Tokyo, I visited a few stores in Ginza, took the train to Harajuku and walked up to Shinjuku station through Yoyogi park.  The evening was spent with friends who gathered near the station.  The nice weather is surely welcomed by everyone!