Nostalgia, space and memory: the Tokyo Kabuki-za, 1951-2010

This paper centres on the performance venue of the Tokyo Kabuki-za , closed in April 2010 to make way for a new theatre on the same site to be opened in 2013, and will consider its significance primarily in terms of the collective memory of the contemporary kabuki fans who participated in events to mark its passing from January 2009 to April 2010. First, the nature of this special series of monthly Grand Kabuki performances will be examined, paying attention to the involvement of regular audience members in the selection of plays to be performed and attempting to discern whether some items might have attracted popular support because of their perceived appropriateness to the Kabuki-za stage in particular. Potential reasons for the explicit appeal to nostalgia among audiences in planning the farewell performances (sayōnara kōen)will also be discussed.
The focus will then shift from the recent farewell performances to the early years of the Kabuki-za. What might those who remember, or have heard memorable accounts of, the initial opening and its aftermath particularly call to mind in the context of the theatre’s closure, and why? Aspects identified for detailed consideration will include the revitalization of kabuki in post-war Japan through the activities of performers, playwrights and the state; fostering of international interest in kabuki and the growing concern with preservation and promotion of kabuki as a classical performing art form.
The conclusion will set out to determine what relationship there is between audience memory of the early years of the Kabuki-za and the farewell performances commemorating its history and development; what effect this may have on how kabuki and its reception are conceptualized in the future and to what extent the architectural design for the new theatre space reflects these connections.