The Theater Facilities:
Kabuki theatres facilities in the Edo period were both unique and beautiful. They included a stage and an audience area that were separated by a curtain. Theatres also had a platform stretching from the stage all the way through the audience known as the “flower way”, or hanamichi. It is called the “flower way” because it “Originally served as a passage for audience members to present flowers to actors on stage” (Khan Academy). The facilities also included a proscenium which is a “frame or arch separating the stage from the auditorium, through which the action of a play is viewed” (Britannica). They also had signboards with current and upcoming programs that hung above the theatre entrances, telling what shows were happening and at what time.
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There were 3 main theaters in Edo located in the “Low City” area, they were the Nakamura-za, Ichimura-za, and Morita-za (Khan Academy). In 1657 The Great Fire of Meireki also known as, Furisode Fire fire destroyed the majority of Edo’s theaters. The Asakusa area is where many of Edo’s theatres relocated.
The images to the right are of the Kabukiza, which is among the oldest theaters in Japan; it has housed Kabuki since 1889 in Old Tokyo. However, Kabukiza was redecorated 4 times due to fires and war damage, but is still used today. |
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