31 Best Performing Arts 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 is old, the seats aren't comfortable, and this is definitely a tourist trap, but it's also only place to see these performing arts most of year. The admission price is a bargain considering the number of talented artists involved.

Eclectic performances at this artsy music venue range from Japanese rock to Korean and Japanese pop to visual-kei (visual-style) groups, who wear elaborate makeup and stage costumes.

Held the last weekend of October, this predominantly mainstream festival takes places in some less-than-mainstream venues, ranging from a Shinto shrine to a Lutheran church (most within walking distance of Asagaya Station). More than 200 bands and 1,300 musicians play, and previous headliners include the Mike Price Jazz Quintet and pianist Yosuke Yamashita. The festival gets crowded, so come early to ensure entry.

This complex has two movie theaters that tend to screen French and foreign films; a concert, opera, and classic ballet auditorium (Orchard Hall); a performance space (Theater Cocoona, often used for ballet and other dance); a gallery; and a museum.

This three-story, city-run performance hall showcases classical music and ballet, opera, dance, and drama. Visitors might be especially interested in performances of local interest featuring puppets, wind music, and Japanese Kabuki dance.

One of the best venues for art-house films in Japan screens independent European and Asian hits and small-scale Japanese movies. Directors and actors often appear on the stage, greeting fans on opening days. Occasionally Japanese films run with English subtitles.

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

This is among the most important of the Noh family schools in Japan, and the current iemoto (head) of the school is the 26th in his line. In 2017 Kanze moved to a stylish new theater in Ginza. English-language summaries of the plots are available upon request.

Behind Hotel New Otani stands this relatively small concert venue, which showcases both performances of Western classical music, such as piano and violin recitals, and Japanese works, including shakuhachi flute music. It hosts programs for families to learn how to play such traditional Japanese instruments.

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 architect Isozaki Arata designed this complex that has a huge round glass facade and a spiral entrance walkway up to the 1,839-seat Main Hall, the home of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra. Visiting orchestras and artists, including excellent ones unknown outside Asia, also perform here and in the 514-seat Ensemble Hall. Ask your concierge for a schedule. There's a restaurant on the ground floor.

From late April to November there are excellent traditional dance performances such as "The Epic Story of the Fire God." Unfortunately, the puppet theatre is only available for group bookings and doesn't have daily performances for general visitors. The venue's seating faces a wall that's open to the outside, which gives the performances a dynamic natural background. During the day, there are also craft workshops 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.

One of the few public halls to host Noh performances, this theater provides basic English-language summaries of the plots at performances. Individual screens placed in front of each seat also give an English translation.

With its 1,632-seat main auditorium, this venue nourishes Japan's fledgling efforts to make a name for itself in the world of opera. The Opera City Concert Hall has a massive pipe organ and hosts a free concert on Friday from 11:45 to 12:30, as well as visiting orchestras and performers. The complex also includes an art gallery.

The home base for the Japan Broadcasting Corporation's NHK Symphony Orchestra, known as N-Kyo, is probably the auditorium most familiar to Japanese lovers of classical music, as performances here are routinely rebroadcast on the national TV station.

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 to 1925, this theater was built for the geisha of the Shimbashi quarter to present their spring and autumn performances of traditional music and dance. This is the top spot in Tokyo to see the nation's favorite traditional performing art. The theater is also the home of "Super Kabuki," a faster, jazzier modern version. Seats commonly run ¥3,000–¥16,500, and there's no gallery.

The Suigan dinner theater and lounge offers a taste of traditional Japanese Noh and Kyogen plays and geisha performances over a full-course dinner, light meal, 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. Suigan has performances every evening and during the day on weekends. Tickets must be reserved in advance on the website.

Home to New Japan Philharmonic, the venue is mostly for Western classical music, chamber music, and piano recitals. It has many programs by amateur orchestras and ensembles, as well. The 1,800-seat hall is thought to have the best acoustics in Tokyo.

This lavishly appointed concert auditorium in the Ark Hills complex has probably the best acoustics in the city, and its great location allows theatergoers to extend their evening out: there's an abundance of great restaurants and bars nearby.

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 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 for later shows. Advance tickets are available through ticketing agencies and the theater's website. Any remaining tickets are sold at the theater box office.

With a design that evokes images of the golden days of film, Toho's premier "movie palace" attempts to bring back the days when moviegoing was an experience. With an impressive lobby and one of the largest screens in Tokyo, it is one of the city's best movie theaters. Arrive a few minutes early to take in the impressive views looking out over Hibiya Park before your show.

This complex provides good comfort along with its nine screens, and about 2,100 seats that include "first-class" VIP seats. It also has an extra-large screen and MediaMation MX4D technology. It's the principal venue for the Tokyo International Film Festival held each fall. There are plenty of bars in the area for post-movie discussions. Late shows screen on weekends.

In the 1960s and ’70s this hall was one of the city's premier showcases for classical ballet, orchestral music, and visiting soloists. It still gets major bookings.

A 45,852-seat sports arena, the dome also hosts big-name Japanese pop acts as well as the occasional international star.