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After an announcement last year that the historic Shochikuza Theatre in Dotonbori would be closing for good following its May production run, many Osakans were resigned to mourning the loss of this local icon. But now it seems like the curtain may not be falling on the city’s first Western-style theatre after all.
Shochiku Co has announced it plans to continue operating the theatre ‘in a different form’ and is in discussion with Osaka’s prefectural and municipal governments on a way forward.
Rebuilding the venue is reportedly among the options on the table – a logical outcome for a building that has stood for more than a century. The structure first opened as a cinema in 1923 before reinventing itself as a live performance venue after a major renovation in 1997.
The plot twist comes after significant pressure to preserve the Dotonbori fixture, which has served as a significant cultural anchor for a district with a history as a theatre town.
Designed in the Neo-Renaissance style and nicknamed ‘Dotonbori’s Arc de Triomphe’, the theatre was originally slated to close due to the ageing condition of its facilities.
For visitors and locals alike, Shochikuza has long been one of the best places in the city to catch a performance of kabuki, Japan’s traditional theatre form famous for its elaborate costumes, all-male casts and spectacular stage sets.
No timeline or specific plans have been confirmed yet. A temporary closure while rebuilding takes place remains a possibility, but for a theatre that has survived for more than a hundred years, that feels like a minor obstacle.
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