Tokorozawa Civic Cultural Centre Muse, Cultural center in Namiki, Tokorozawa, Japan
Muse is a municipal cultural complex in Namiki, Tokorozawa, made up of three halls: Ark Hall, a 2,002-seat shoebox symphony hall with a Rieger pipe organ of 5,563 pipes and 75 stops; Marquee Hall, a 798-seat horseshoe theatre; and Cube Hall, a 318-seat chamber music room. It also holds The Square gallery, rehearsal and practice rooms, Japanese-style rooms, a restaurant and a café.
Construction began on 22 March 1991 and the building was completed on 30 October 1993, opening on 1 November 1993. It was designed by Ishimoto Architectural & Engineering Firm, with acoustics by Yamaha, and built by a joint venture led by Taisei. From 10 December 2018 to 31 March 2020 the centre closed for seismic reinforcement of ceilings, seat and carpet replacement, and an overhaul of the organ.
The Ark Hall's organ was built by Rieger Orgelbau of Austria over about a year and a half, with 75 stops and 5,563 pipes. The same stage hosts school wind-band and choir contests, children's music recitals and the city's coming-of-age ceremony, so amateur musicians and residents share the hall with touring orchestras.
From the east exit of Kōkū-kōen Station on the Seibu Shinjuku Line it is about 8 minutes on foot, or one stop by bus for a 100-yen fare; central Tokyo is roughly 30 to 45 minutes away. The building adjoins Kōkū-kōen Park, and paths connect the grounds directly to the lawns and trees. The complex has a 350-space car park, and by road it is 6.6 km, about 10 minutes, from the Tokorozawa IC on the Kan-Etsu Expressway.
The official English name uses the British spelling "Centre", not the American "Center". The halls have appeared in Japanese television dramas and films, including Nodame Cantabile, which used both Ark Hall and Marquee Hall, and the 2015 film Ghost Theater, shot in Marquee Hall.
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