Meiji-za
{{Short description|Theatre in Chūō, Tokyo, Japan}}
{{Infobox Theatre
|name = Meiji-za
明治座
|image = Meiji-za (Hamacho Center Building).jpg
|caption = Meiji-za
|address = 東京都中央区日本橋浜町二丁目31番1号
2-31-1 Nihonbashi-Hamacho, Chūō-ku
|city = Tokyo
|country = {{flagicon|Japan}} Japan
|designation =
|coordinates = {{coord|35.687967|139.78688|type:landmark|display=inline}}
|architect =
|owner = Meiji-za Corporation
|capacity = 1,368
|type = Kabuki theater
|opened = 1873
|yearsactive =
|rebuilt = 1885, 1928, 1950, 1958, 1993
|closed =
|othernames =
|production =
|currentuse =
|website = www.en.meijiza.co.jp/
}}
The {{Nihongo|Meiji-za|明治座|"Meiji Theatre"}} is a theatre in Chūō, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally constructed in 1873.[http://www.en.meijiza.co.jp/ Official Homepage] It presents kabuki and Western stage plays.
History
The theatre first opened in the district of Hisamatsu-chô as the Kishô-za in 1873.{{Cite web|url=http://kabuki21.com/meijiza.php|title = Meijiza}} Six years later it reopened under the name of Hisamatsu-za. In February 1885, it opened under a third name, Chitose-za, but burned down in 1890. In November 1893, it was rebuilt as the Meiji-za, the name that it holds today.
In 1904, the Meiji-za underwent renovations, only to be burned down in the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake. Until the Meiji-za was rebuilt in Hama-chô, the Suehiro-za, a small theater in the Azabu Jûban district, served as a temporary replacement.
The Meiji-za was burned down in the bombings of World War II, but reopened in December 1950. After a fire in 1957, it was reopened the next year.
The Meiji-za put on two especially grand kabuki performances in March and April 1993 to celebrate three years of extensive renovations.
In 2023, the Meija-za opened its 150th anniversary season with its first ever original musical, CESARE ~ Creator of Destruction ~, based on Fuyumi Soryo's manga of the same name.{{Cite web |title=ミュージカル「チェーザレ 破壊の創造者」公式サイト |url=https://www.cesare-stage.com/ |access-date=2023-02-28 |website=ミュージカル「チェーザレ 破壊の創造者」公式｜明治座 |language=ja}} For this production, an orchestra pit was created there for the first time in the theatre's history.{{Citation |title=明治座創業以来初！オーケストラピットが出来るまでを大公開！｜ミュージカル『チェーザレ 破壊の創造者』 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZXrD4qKvX0 |language=en |access-date=2023-02-28}}
References
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Category:Buildings and structures in Chūō, Tokyo
Category:Theatres completed in 1873
Category:1873 establishments in Japan
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