A new cultural spot, the Kabukiza Gallery (4-12-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo), opened on April 24th on the fifth floor of the Kabukiza Tower, which opened on April 2nd, 2013.
The gallery consists of an "Exhibition Space," where special exhibitions with different themes are held according to the season, and the "Kobikicho Hall," which features a cypress-floored stage that was used in the fourth Kabukiza theater.
The opening special exhibition, "The Beauty of Kabuki: Spring," will run until June 30th in the "Exhibition Space" and "Kobikicho Hall." The exhibits include costumes and props used in the spring-themed play "Kyokago Musume Dojoji," as well as tapestries with flower-circle patterns, a collection of prop notebooks, and digest videos of Kabukiza performances. The same floor also features a rooftop garden, planted with a variety of flowers and trees, including a weeping cherry tree named "Okuni Sakura" after Izumo no Okuni, said to be the founder of Kabuki. Also on display are a stone lantern from the former residence of Kawatake Mokuami, a Kabuki playwright known for works such as "Benten Musume Onna Otoko Shiranami," and monuments honoring famous actors. Near the rooftop garden, Tsukiji Maruyama Jugetsudo, a Japanese tea cafe run by Maruyama Nori, a long-established tea and seaweed shop celebrating its 160th anniversary this year, has opened. The space, which recreates the world of tea and Zen using approximately 2,700 bamboo stalks, was designed by architect Kengo Kuma, who also designed Jugetsudo's Paris store. The cafe offers a panoramic view of the rooftop garden, and inside, you can enjoy Japanese tea along with matcha soft serve ice cream and matcha soba noodles.
Also on the same floor, there is the Rakuza Souvenir Shop, where you can purchase original souvenirs, and the Studio Alice Kabuki Photo Studio, where you can take photos wearing Kabuki-za costumes, so that children and first-time Kabuki fans can enjoy themselves.
A talk show to commemorate the opening was held on April 22nd, and Kabuki actor Nakamura Baigyoku appeared. "Kabuki is made up of everything, including the costumes and props. I want you to feel that atmosphere. I hope this gallery will serve as a gateway to getting tourists and first-timers interested in Kabuki."
