I just saw this posted on I.G. and I think a few of you have also. I feel like crying. I always dreaming of going to this Theatre. Guess it's never going to happen now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 718442.stm

I heard about that aswell. its truley sad. I think dead Kabuki actors just rolled in their graves.... You would think they would just remodel it or something along those lines... but noooo... tear down years upon years of traditional building designs and memories. i hope they declare it a historical land mark or something so that they can't tear it down. i always wanted to go there and see a proformance.... now i'll never be able to!

My goodness! Unbelievable...

On the homepage I see nothing about it - but the programming extends as far as this year only, for all I can see, which is not promising... Combined with that ever-present fear of loss of face, prospects look glum.
The site shows a clearer pic of the front of the building than the BBC link. Though it's not that old (the 1920s), it looks much older, and that in a city which was almost leveled in 1945 and has been "re-deconstructed" mainly in drab concrete since.

On the other hand, you posted this about a year ago now. Has more information become available? Have the owners returned to their senses & decided upon an earthquake-proof foundation for this beauty?

["foundation for this beauty"... sounds so maiko-make-uppy, doesn't it? Not out of place on this site, I say! ]


EDIT: According to its Wikipedia site, the theatre already announced
How to ever stop this now??

NO...NO!!!
But there's only one Kabuki-za in all Japan?!

They're rebuilding the Kabukiza with the exact same front as the old theater. There are also several kabuki theaters in Japan, so it's not the end of the world. The Kabukiza that had already been up wasn't even 90 years old, it had been demolished by earthquakes numerous times already. I've been to the Kabukiza, and I agree with pro-construction statements that the bathrooms are too small and there aren't enough of them, the seats are too small, handicap access is non-existent, and the building itself doesn't look all that great on the inside (the wear and tear is obvious). It needs to be rebuilt.

Well i must agree... it's to old og course, but uhh memories and all of that..yeah that sits can be too small but if you know that somebody was sitting on them 90 years ago , i 'll don't care about theirs look but you've got right.

Fuyouhime-san,

You have seen and experienced it, so probably demolishing is best after all. And besides, I did not know they will be "keeping up appearances" of the Kabuki-za. The BBC article fairly strongly suggested something totally different would be taking the old theatre's place.

for letting us know, Tokyo has so few old(er) buildings left that even a new one in old guise will be much welcomed - not just by me, but I think by many Edokko as well!