🎭Экскурсия по театру Shochikuza в Осаке｜🔒редкие кадры и тайная история японской сцены

🎭Экскурсия по театру Shochikuza в Осаке｜🔒редкие кадры и тайная история японской сцены

Hello everyone! This is the Asakusa Sisters. Today we’re on a tour of the Shochikuza Theater. We’ll walk around the stage for a bit, take pictures of the stage equipment, and then join us for this wonderful tour. So, shall we go? Osaka Shochikuza is a Japanese theater located in the center of Osaka, and it’s also the first theater in Japan built of reinforced concrete in the Western style. Let’s travel back 100 years to Japan in the Taishō era…. More than 70 years had passed since Japan opened its borders to the world. Technical progress was booming, new forms of entertainment were emerging, and Osaka was rapidly transforming with modern buildings. The city even gained its own “Eiffel Tower” — Tsutenkaku — along with gardens, zoos, bars, and cabarets. Silent films appeared, carriages were replaced by shiny automobiles – it was the era of “Great Osaka.” At that time, many renowned theater troupes, dancers, and musicians from Europe, the United States, and Russia began coming to Osaka. However, they all faced one major problem the city lacked a proper Western-style theater capable of hosting international performers. That’s when Matsujirō Shirai found a solution. He was firmly convinced that “the creation of a grand international theater is an urgent task.” He spent two years building Japan’s first reinforced-concrete theater — the Osaka Shochiku-za Theatre, located in Dōtonbori and designed entirely in European style. The theater’s signature arched entrance, finished with terracotta in Neo-Renaissance style, was designed by Tokusaburō Kimura of the Obayashi Corporation, inspired by La Scala in Milan, Italy. Construction was completed on May 10, 1923 (Taishō 12), and the grand opening ceremony was held a week later, on May 17. The new cultural landmark could seat 1,141 people. The lobby had a polished stone floor, a terracotta façade, marble fireplaces, dazzling chandeliers, ornate wooden ceilings and walls, and royal boxes on both sides. Ticket prices at the time were: 2 yen for first-class seats (the special boxes on the sides), 1 yen 50 sen for second-class seats (on the second floor), and 60 sen for third-class seats (on the first and third floors). Surprisingly, today’s SS seats, considered the best, were once third-class seats. Likely, the owners followed European logic – where the stalls were for the “common people,” and the more prestigious boxes and balconies were reserved for the wealthy, influential, or noble. At its founding, the theater’s motto was: “We strive to be a theater that combines film and performing arts of the new era — a truly European-style venue leading the popular arts of Japan.” You can truly feel in these words the spirit of old Osaka – its drive to move forward with the times and stand shoulder to shoulder with Europe. The show format itself was innovative: it combined performances by the Shochiku Musical and Drama Club (later known as OSK) founded in 1922, with foreign films. According to records, after the opening ceremony on May 17, the program featured the film “Mother” directed by Yoshitoyo Nomura, the orchestral piece “Hero” by the Shochiku Orchestra, and the first musical theater production “The Woman from Arles.” As one of Osaka’s main venues for Western cinema – alongside the Kitano Theater in Umeda Shochiku-za showcased not only foreign films but also revue shows by the all-female Osaka Shochiku Girls’ Opera Company (OSSK), which grew out of Shochiku’s musical theater division. After World War II, the theater reopened as the first cinema in Japan to screen Shochiku films, and later it became a theater specializing in foreign movies. Films such as “The Towering Inferno,” “Gone with the Wind,” “Jaws,” “The Bodyguard,” “The Last Emperor,” and “E.T.” were shown here. On May 8, 1994, the theater ceased operations and closed for renovation. The last film shown was “Gone with the Wind.” In 1997, the theater was rebuilt, preserving the façade, but unfortunately, it lost almost all of its luxurious furnishings—the auditorium, lobby, box office, and refreshment area. The new theater opened on February 26th of that year. It currently hosts primarily Kabuki, new drama, and Shochiku Shinkigeki productions, as well as performances of Joonies, opera, Musicals, concerts, and rakugo performances. In 2004, for the first time in 66 years, the show “Spring Dances,” or “Haru no Odori,” was revived as a review of the new Osaka Nippon Kagekidan troupe, and has since become an annual landmark event. Currently, the theater seats 1,033, as installed by Hanamichi. There are 553 seats on the first floor, 282 on the second floor, 198 on the third floor, and only 12 screen seats. And now, let’s take a walk backstage and explore this century-old beauty from the inside. We take the escalator up to the second floor lobby.
Here, there’s now a small café and a souvenir shop. In the same area, there’s an exhibition of the theater’s lighting equipment. These machines can project patterns, narrow beams, or fill the stage with monochrome light. Some of them still use traditional bulbs perfect for performances that require soft, delicate lighting. Others use LED lamps and panels, better suited for concerts and shows where bright, expressive light is needed. After the Meiji Restoration, women gained access to education and employment, and some began working as lighting technicians in theaters. It was physically demanding work and not very well paid. The lamps grew extremely hot, so women had to wear gloves to avoid burns. Another invisible but essential backstage role thanks to them, the actresses on stage could truly shine And now, let’s enter the main hall! Today, it’s decorated in deep red tones, looking more Japanese than the European design it once had.
The red lanterns also add a distinctly Japanese touch. And here it is Hana no Michi, the “Flower Path.” It’s used in Kabuki, musicals, and revues to depict a hero’s journey or the passage of time. Actors walk along it when setting out on a trip or to show the flow of the story. Here we are, eagerly waiting for the tour to begin. By the way, the red velvet seats look beautifully retro. The show begins! Now we can see how all those lighting devices we saw upstairs actually work and what the stage looks like from the audience’s view. Later, we’ll go backstage and see the same lights from the performers’ perspective so stay tuned! Of course, Shochikuza also has fog machines for stage effects. Interestingly, compared to other theaters, the smoke here barely has any smell which keeps the atmosphere pleasant and likely helps the performers breathe easier, since stage smoke can often be harsh. Returning to the Flower Path behind the scenes there’s a small room where performers prepare before stepping on stage. By the way, the squares along the path contain real light bulbs, so be careful not to burn yourself! Actors often make sudden entrances with the help of staff. You can even spot the staff member’s hand pulling the curtain and suddenly, the hero appears on stage! Now, let’s move onto the stage itself. go onto the stage. Inside, this century-old theater looks like a classic performance hall. Here you can see a small room where actors can touch up their makeup, change costumes, or fix their hair before going on again. And here’s the Flower Path up close it’s a fairly high platform that gives a perfect view of the entire audience. It’s 17 meters long. One unique thing about Shochikuza is that the performers can clearly see the audience even those sitting in the very last row. In a sense, besides the actors, staff, and directors, there’s one more key participant in every show – the audience. The distance from the first row to the very back is 16 meters,
and the stage itself has about the same depth. Looking upward, you can see the lighting equipment suspended from the ceiling. The height from floor to ceiling is 18 meters,
though from the audience’s view, the stage feels much deeper. Now, look down the stage floor is marked with white tape, helping performers find their positions during a show. Time to see the stage in motion! We’re now watching the revolving stage rotate used to create dynamic scene transitions during performances. It’s used to create dynamic The movement is very smooth — not scary at all! Next, we’ll ride the moving platforms that go up and down they can lift about 9 meters above the stage. When going down, you can see the mechanical systems underneath so you have to be careful not to bump into anything. Now let’s see the audience from the performers’ point of view. The back of the curtain is a different color than the front that’s normal. And here’s something unique to Japanese theaters a protective charm plaque that guards against fires and accidents. You won’t find those in European theaters. Also, Japanese theaters don’t use the traditional “three bells” before a show begins,instead, there’s just one sharp signal. From the stage, the hall looks compact and easy to see,
thanks to its gentle floor slope. That means the performers can clearly see every smile in the audience and that connection makes all the difference, doesn’t it? It’s so important, isn’t it, when the audience supports you? Imagine the feeling of standing on this stage, seeing people smile and clap for you. While standing here, we could truly feel its hundred-year history the invisible connection of time and the many stories that led us to this moment. How many great women have stood on this stage? How many stories born here have shaped the future? This is a magical place – a place where women could stand in the center of art, inspire others, love deeply, and find inspiration themselves. And so, our tour comes to an end – we head back down to the first floor. We were absolutely delighted – how about you?

✨ Погрузитесь в атмосферу старейшего театра Осаки — Shochikuza! Мы покажем закулисье, редкие детали интерьера и расскажем малоизвестные истории японской сцены.
🎭 Важно: в 2026 году театр закроют, поэтому это видео может стать одним из последних шансом увидеть его изнутри! А также возможностью увидеть место, где развивалась история женского театра OSK и творили легендарные актрисы.

💕 Поддержите проект Asakusa Sisters лайком и комментарием — это помогает развивать тему женской истории и культуры!

📌 Субтитры доступны на русском, английском и японском.

00:00 – Вступление.
00:22 – История создания театра
6:10 – Начало экскурсии
7:23 – Ханамичи Цветочная дорожка
9:19 – Устройство сцены
12:00 Вид шоу со сцены

#osk日本歌劇団 #松竹座 #женскаяистория #женскийтеатр #женскаяистория #японскаякультура #AsakusaSisters