This is very much a work-in-progress. As part of my efforts to provide resources on Japanese and Tokyo theatre in English I am compiling a list of major theatres. For now I have divided it into three: the top dogs, as such (some of which are public and producing houses); the main commerical theatres; and a handful of the fringe theatres. I have not included theaters that only tend to show traditional theatre or musicals. Please note also that there are many small venues that mainly show dance.
Top Dogs
Bunkamura: Theatre Cocoon
New National Theatre: The Playhouse
New National Theatre: The Pit
Setagaya Public Theatre: Tram Theatre
Commercial
Aoyama Theater (Aoyama Enkei Gekijou)
The Galaxy Theatre (Tennoushu Ginka Gekijou)
Fringe (Shogekijou) [Very select list]
Honda Group: Ekimae Gekijou; Off Off Theater; Geki; The Suzunari; Rakuen; Theatre 711; Sotetsu (Yokohama)
Theater Green: (Big Tree Theater, Box in Box Theater, Base Theater)
Closed
Bensian Pit (closed)
Gotanda Sonic (closed)
Theater/Tops (closed)
William
Found your site via Tokyo Art Beat.
Just mentioned your guide in my weekly ‘Tokyo Thursdays’ piece on ‘Serge the Concierge’
Here is the link
http://www.sergetheconcierge.com/2009/11/gozilla-and-the-retirement-age-an-english-guide-to-theaters-in-tokyo.html
Serge
‘The French Guy from New Jersey’
Hi Serge,
Thanks for the comment and the link. My list is definitely not complete and it will continue to change.
Thanks
Hi
I am looking for a contemporary japanese playwriter ? Any recommendation?
Mikkel/Denmark
@mikkelflyvholm
Thanks for your comment and for reading my blog.
What kind of plays are you interested in? For example, most Japanese contemporary playwrights are also their own directors and carve their own highly idiosyncratic niche. This means there’s a lot of disparity and it’s hard to compare, say, Toshiki Okada with, say, Junko Emoto or Oriza Hirata. Then there are artists like Kurou Tanino and Akira Takayama who aren’t playwrights.
It’s nigh impossible to give glib “recommendations” without frames to work within, but one personal favourite of mine is Daisuke Miura.
William