Showa-Era Theater in Japan’s Kawasaki Keeps Going, Venue Provides Chance to See Performers Up Close

By Miwa Uehara / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

11:37 JST, August 19, 2025

KAWASAKI — Traveling down the main road from Kawasaki Station toward the industrial waterfront area, I turned onto a side street leading to a residential area. Colorful wreaths and banners bearing the names of theater companies and actors caught my eye.

Taishu engeki, literary “theater for the masses,” flourished in the Showa era (1926-1989). Kawasaki, once a prospering working-class city, was home to many of these kinds of theaters. However, only the Oshima Gekijo theater remains.

The theater opened in 1950, and the current manager and proprietress is the third generation to run the venue, taking over from her mother, who also inherited the theater from her mother, its founder.

“It’s not a profitable business and difficult to rebuild. We have regular customers, so we don’t know when to lower the curtain [on the theater],” she said jokingly.

The current white box-shaped structure was built around 1970. Visitors buy tickets at the door, take off their shoes and enter the 40-tatami-mat auditorium. Banners featuring actors’ names and faces liven up the hanamachi runway to the stage. The stage is compact, and the seating area has a gentle slope to ensure good visibility even from the back rows.

The theater was designed by local architect Joichi Iwata. His son Minoru said that he believes the slope was added at the request of the theater company at the time. He added that the decision not to give the building the traditional karahafu gabled roof typical of a theater was maybe because they wanted to create something modern.

The theater hosts a different troupe each month, with performances typically consisting of two parts: a historical play and a song and dance show. The repertoire changes daily.

It is customary for spectators to present artificial flower necklaces to their favorite actors during the show. In recent years, fans have also begun cheering while holding penlights.

“Compared to other theaters, the distance between the audience and the actors is very close,” said Yuta Mizuhiro, who leads theater company Gekidan Shuko. “I come here once a year and enjoy the sense of unity.”

It is customary for the actors to gather at the exit to see the audience off after shows. The heat felt on stage gradually transforms into a warm, family-like atmosphere.

Oshima Gekijo theater

Address: 2-16-1 Oshima, Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki

Access: Take the Kawasaki Tsurumi Rinko Bus from JR Kawasaki Station and get off at Oiwake Stop then walk for 3 minutes.

Memo: Shows start at 6 p.m. on weekdays; at 1 p.m. and at 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

Admission: ¥2,000 for adults, ¥1,000 for children aged 4 to elementary school.