National Theatre of Japan, National theatre in Hayabusacho, Tokyo, Japan

The National Theatre of Japan consists of two buildings containing three separate halls, with the main building housing a large auditorium for kabuki and a smaller space dedicated to bunraku puppet performances. The primary auditorium seats 1610 spectators and operates under the management of the Japan Arts Council, overseen by the Ministry of Education.

The theatre opened on November 1, 1966, with the goal of preserving and regularly staging traditional Japanese performance forms. The construction was carried out by Takenaka Corporation and marked an important step in government support for classical stage arts.

The theatre's name is tied to the official character Kurogo-chan, a stagehand figure in black. The Japan Prize ceremony is held here each April, attended by the Emperor and Empress, the Prime Minister and the speakers of both houses. From 2012 to 2021 the government's 11 March memorial for the Great East Japan Earthquake took place here, cancelled in 2020 because of COVID-19. The building has been closed since the end of October 2023 for reconstruction.

The theatre has been closed since the end of October 2023 for a reconstruction project, and no reopening date is set; the third tender was announced on 31 March 2026, with the winning bidder to be chosen in late September 2027. During the closure, the Japan Arts Council stages its programmes at the New National Theatre, the National Noh Theatre, Theatre 1010 and the Nihon Seinenkan Hall. The site is near Hanzōmon Station on the Hanzōmon Line and Nagatachō Station on the Yūrakuchō and Namboku lines.

The exterior of the main building incorporates design elements from azekura-zukuri style, an ancient construction method using horizontally stacked timber logs originally seen at the imperial treasury building Shōsōin. This architectural reference visibly connects the modern theatre with historical Japanese building traditions.