Shinkyogoku Sakaiza Theatre

When brothers Matsujiro and Takejiro Otani, founders of Shochiku, were just 14-year-olds at the time, they were captivated by a performance by Nakamura Ganjiro and Ichikawa Danjuro at the Gion-kan in the early-1890’s. They vowed to themselves that in the near future that they would like to have their own large theater like that and put on famous performances.

Later on, Takejiro Otani became the impresser in place of his father at the Shinkyogoku Sakai-za Theater in 1895, which marked him a major step in theater management. After just four years of acting as head of the Sakai-za, Takejiro became the undisputed head of the theater due to his passion in 1899. Unfortunately, the following year marked the turn of the original Sakai-za. Because of the building’s aging, it was demolished and the site was filled with the purchased Gionkan theater on Hanamikoji, which was then renamed the Shinkyogoku Kabukiza Theatre opened their doors that same year in 1900.

The Kabukiza would eventually become a movie theater in 1934 and the theater building was rebuilt again. It reopened in 1936 under the name Shochiku Kyoei. In 1970, the theater was rebuilt because of deterioration and the theater relaunched as the SY Shochiku Kyoei.

It was still open in the 1990’s but unfortunately, I cannot find its closing date at all. It was immediately demolished, and a hotel and commercial facilities were built at the theater’s site which were completed in 2018.

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