Meiji-za

The Meiji-za (明治座, "Meiji Theatre") is a theatre in Chūō, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally constructed in 1873.^[1] It presents kabuki and Western stage plays.

Meiji-za
明治座

Meiji-za
Address	東京都中央区日本橋浜町二丁目31番1号 2-31-1 Nihonbashi-Hamacho, Chūō-ku Tokyo Japan
Coordinates	35.687967°N 139.78688°E / 35.687967; 139.78688
Owner	Meiji-za Corporation
Type	Kabuki theater
Capacity	1,368
Construction
Opened	1873
Rebuilt	1885, 1928, 1950, 1958, 1993
Website
www.en.meijiza.co.jp/

History

The theatre first opened in the district of Hisamatsu-chô as the Kishô-za in 1873.^[2] Six years later it reopened under the name of Hisamatsu-za.^[2] In February 1885, it opened under a third name, Chitose-za,^[2] but burned down in 1890.^[2] In November 1893, it was rebuilt as the Meiji-za, the name that it holds today.^[2]

In 1904, the Meiji-za underwent renovations, only to be burned down in the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake.^[2] Until the Meiji-za was rebuilt in Hama-chô,^[2] the Suehiro-za, a small theater in the Azabu Jûban district, served as a temporary replacement.^[2] The Meiji-za was burned down in the bombings of World War II, but reopened in December 1950.^[2] After a fire in 1957, it was reopened the next year.^[2]

The Meiji-za put on two especially grand kabuki performances in March and April 1993 to celebrate three years of extensive renovations.^[2]

In 2023, the Meija-za opened its 150th anniversary season with its first ever original musical, CESARE ~ Creator of Destruction ~, based on Fuyumi Soryo's manga of the same name.^[3] For this production, an orchestra pit was created there for the first time in the theatre's history.^[4]

References

1. Official Homepage
2. "Meijiza".
3. "ミュージカル「チェーザレ 破壊の創造者」公式サイト". ミュージカル「チェーザレ 破壊の創造者」公式｜明治座 (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-02-28.
4. 明治座創業以来初！オーケストラピットが出来るまでを大公開！｜ミュージカル『チェーザレ 破壊の創造者』, retrieved 2023-02-28