Minami-za Kabuki Theater

Minami-za is a theater in Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture, registered as a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. It is also called Kyoto Shijo Minami-za. The building incorporates Momoyama-style design elements into modern architecture and reopened after renovation in 2018 (Heisei 30). With origins traced back to the Keicho era and officially licensed in the Genna era, it is said to be the oldest theater in Japan. Access is immediate from Gion-Shijo Station (Keihan Railway) and about a 3-minute walk from Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station (Hankyu). The name “Minami-za” comes from its location on the south side of Shijo Street; until 1892 (Meiji 25), there was also a “Kita-za” theater across the street. Kabuki is considered to have originated when Izumo no Okuni performed kabuki-odori in Kyoto in the spring of 1603 (Keicho 8). On this kabuki birthplace, performances—centered on kabuki—are still staged today. The annual “Kaomise” performance season, held from late November through December, is a signature winter tradition of Kyoto.