Fodor's Expert Review National Theater of Japan

Architect Hiroyuki Iwamoto's winning entry in the design competition for the National Theater building (1966) is a rendition in concrete of the ancient azekura (storehouse) style, invoking the 8th-century Shosoin Imperial Repository in Nara. The large hall seats 1,610 and presents primarily Kabuki theater, ancient court music, and dance. The small hall seats 590 and is used mainly for Bunraku puppet theater and traditional music. Performances are in Japanese, but English-translation headsets are available for many shows. Debut performances, called kao-mise, are worth watching to catch the stars of the next generation. Tickets can be reserved until the day of the performance by calling the theater box office between 10 and 6.