Kanagawa Arts Theatre, Contemporary theatre in Yamashitachō, Japan
Kanagawa Arts Theatre is a performance venue with ten floors above ground and one basement level, housing spaces dedicated to theatrical plays, musicals, and dance shows. The building contains multiple theater spaces that allow different types of performances to take place simultaneously.
The site first held a dome-shaped temporary theatre, Yokohama 21st Century Za, opened in December 2000 with 1,100 seats and kabuki actor Tamasaburō Bandō as artistic director; it closed in September 2005. Construction of the present building began in December 2007 and was completed in December 2010, with the theatre opening in 2011. Its architects were the joint venture of Kōyama and Apple. A brick building of 1883, the former Settlement No. 48, is preserved in a corner of the grounds.
The theatre serves as a gathering place where visitors experience a wide range of artistic performances throughout the year. The stages host both local and international artists, making it a center for live entertainment in the area.
The theatre stands back-to-back with the Kenmin Hall main building, separated by Workpia Yokohama, and the two are run as one complex. Inside KAAT, escalators serve every lobby floor but stop running downward just before the end of a performance, so leaving early means taking the stairs. There is no smoking area anywhere in the building; the nearest is the convenience store diagonally across the street. Coin lockers are on the 1st and M2 lobby floors, and suitcases can be left at the entrance.
The building shares a cultural complex with Kanagawa Kenmin Hall and NHK Yokohama Broadcasting Station on the same site. This proximity to other cultural and media facilities creates a multifaceted destination for visitors exploring the area.
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