Fukuoka: 90-Year-Old Wooden Kabuki Theater Likely to Reopen in 2026; Structure Designated as Tangible Cultural Asset

The Yomiuri Shimbun

10:31 JST, February 22, 2025

IIZUKA, Fukuoka — A wooden playhouse in Iizuka, Fukuoka Prefecture, that has been closed since 2021 may be available for tours from around autumn of 2026, sources said.

The Iizuka city government, which took over the operation of the Kaho Theater in 2021, aims to eventually reopen it.

The two-story wooden playhouse opened in 1931. It is known for its kabuki set features, such as a revolving stage, that date back to the Edo period (1603-1867). The theater is registered by the central government as a tangible cultural asset.

The theater used to be operated by the private sector and hosted a variety of events, including mass entertainment, yose rakugo stages for storytelling, song shows and kabuki.

It was severely damaged in torrential downpours in 2003, but was restored the following year.

However, the number of visitors to the facility fell due to the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing the theater to close in 2021.

When a nonprofit organization that managed the facility was dissolved due to financial difficulties, the city took over the building. Since then, the city has been studying ways to make use of it.

The city plans to reopen the theater in three stages. First, it will open the theater to the public and allow people to tour the revolving stage and other areas. In the second stage, the city will rent out the theater as a multipurpose facility after seismic retrofitting and other work is completed. Finally, it will reopen the facility.

The timing for reopening the theater has not been decided, although some people hope it will happen in fiscal 2031 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its founding.