15 Best Performing Arts Venues in Japan

This theater's 50-minute performances sample five traditional disciplines: gagaku (court music), kyomai (Kyoto-style dance), Bunraku (puppet theater), kyogen (comic drama), and koto (Japanese harp). The theater seats only 165 people, so it feels fairly intimate; although this is definitely a tourist trap, it's also the only place to see these performing arts for most of year. The admission price is a bargain considering the number of talented artists involved. Premium seats offer added comfort and come with a digital tablet for translations and background information. In mid-March to November, shows are held nightly at 6 and 7; in December to mid-March, they are held Tuesday to Friday at 6 and 7.

In the same complex as Gion Corner, this theater is used for special performances, most notably the spring and fall dances by maiko and geiko. Kyotoites feel that the season has truly arrived with the announcement of these shows.

This is one of Kyoto's oldest Noh schools. The libretto is all in Japanese, with only some information in English.

At one of the most important of Japan's Noh family schools, the current iemoto (head) is the 26th in his line. Kanze's stylish new theater is in the basement of the Ginza Six complex. English-language plot summaries are available upon request.

This theater presenting performances of the Kongo school of Noh drama was moved to this location on the former estate of an aristocrat. The architecture is completely modern, but the garden—there's a view of it from the lobby—is completely traditional. English translations of the librettos are often available.

The renovated Minami-za theater, the oldest in Japan, hosts Kabuki performances most of the year. Even the mounted posters announcing the plays here are beautifully rendered. The typical Kabuki performance can last up to four hours; there are two shows daily. Box lunches are the choice meal during a play so that one does not miss anything. Front downstairs seats are often occupied by the “who's who” of the world of maiko and geiko.

Theater fans won't want to miss the chance to see a performance at Osaka's National Bunraku Theatre. Bunraku is not your average puppet show: the 3-foot-tall puppets each require a trio of handlers, and the stories, mostly originating in Osaka, contain all the drama and tension (if not the sword fights) of a good samurai drama. The National Bunraku Theatre is Japan's premier place to watch this 300-year-old art form. An Earphone Guide (¥800 rental) explains the action in English as the play unfolds. Performances are usually twice daily (late morning and late afternoon) on weekends; tickets can be bought via the website. There is also a free museum inside.

One of the few public halls to host Noh performances provides basic English-language summaries of the plots at performances. Individual screens placed in front of each seat also give an English translation. There are other types of performances at the same theater, so check what is on.

The maiko and geiko of the Ponto-cho district perform at this theater in spring and fall. Occasionally other dance performances are scheduled here.

Dating from 1925, this theater was built for the geisha of the Shimbashi quarter to present their spring and autumn performances of traditional music and dance. It remains one of the best spots in Tokyo to see traditional performing arts, although the theater is now also the home of "Super Kabuki," a faster, jazzier modern version of kabuki.

The Suigan offers a taste of traditional Japanese Noh and Kyogen plays and geisha performances over a full-course dinner or drinks. While Noh and Kyogen plays can often run hours and be difficult to comprehend, the short performances at Suigan focus on the climactic scenes and give explanations of the story and artistry of the performance. Tickets must be reserved in advance on the website.

Japan's all-female theater troupe was founded in the Osaka suburb of Takarazuka in 1913 and has been going strong ever since. Today, it has not one but five companies, one of which (the Cosmos Troupe) has a permanent home in Tokyo at the 2,069-seat Takarazuka Theater. Same-day tickets are sold at the box office at either 9:30 am or 10 am. Advance tickets are available through ticketing agencies and the theater's website. Any remaining tickets are sold at the theater box office.