Tokyo Takarazuka Theater, Theater in Yūrakuchō, Japan
The Tokyo Takarazuka Theater is a performance space inside the Tokyo Takarazuka Building in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda-ku, where musical revues are presented by an all-female cast. The auditorium extends over multiple levels and seats around 2000 visitors, while the stage is equipped with elaborate machinery for scene changes and special effects.
The first Tokyo Takarazuka Theater opened on January 1, 1934, as the Takarazuka Revue's second permanent venue after Takarazuka. Requisitioned by the GHQ from 1945 to 1955, it was renamed the Ernie Pyle Theater and barred Japanese spectators. The aging building closed on December 29, 1997, and was demolished in 1998; the current theater opened on January 1, 2001.
Female performers divide into two categories: otokoyaku take on male roles, while musumeyaku portray female characters. This role division shapes the entire performance system and gives the shows their particular aesthetic.
The house sits about a five-minute walk from Yūrakuchō Station at 1-1-3 Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda-ku. Performances typically occur in late morning and afternoon, with production runs lasting several weeks before rotating.
Stage productions rotate roughly every two months and each show runs daily for several weeks, prompting many visitors to return repeatedly. Many audience members collect programs and photographs of the changing casts as keepsakes of their favorite performers.
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