Concert halls Kansai

In April, this small theater is crowded during the Miyako Odori, the Cherry Blossom Dance. Geishasand maiko dance to the rhythm of traditional instruments to celebrate the cherry blossoms. The tradition dates back to 1872. Geishas consider it an honor to participate. The show usually begins with the spring scene, danced to the cries of"yoiyasa". Every year, new dances and music are performed, to the delight of the audience.

Once called "Kyoto Kaikan," it was Japan's first large multipurpose theater, designed by architect Kunio Maekawa in 1960. Restored and renamed ROHM, after the sponsor, the venue reopened in 2016. The programming is eclectic. The theater hosts contemporary dance troupes as well as opera and performance artists. Depending on the season, traditional music and dance from all over Japan are also performed. Close to the Heian Jingu, the theater has also been equipped with a beautiful bookshop and a café.

Noh is a form of theater that has existed in Japan since the 14th century. It is usually traced back to Zeami, who is said to have updated stories and theatrical forms from the Heian period. Noh is characterized by very slow dance movements and a poetic language that is quite obscure to the uninitiated. This is of little importance, as the performance is mesmerizing and transports one into another dimension. At Kanke Kaizan, we mainly attend performances by the Noh Kyoto Kanze Association.

The oldest Kabuki theater in Japan has been performing this Japanese dramatic art for 400 years. They are held all year round, but the Kaomise festival is held from December¹ to 25, with the participation of great kabuki actors. The address is the most frequented in the city for this kind of shows. Audio-guides are available in English so as not to miss anything of the performance. The current building dates from 1929 and has undergone many renovations. It last reopened in 2018.

This very touristy theatre offers, from March to November, a true potpourri of traditional arts in 50 minutes, stopwatch in hand: ikebana and tea ceremony demonstrations, kyōmai (dance from Kyōto), kyōgen (comic theatre), bunraku (doll theatre), gagaku (court music). All this is accompanied by explanations translated live by an interpreter. This gives a first glimpse of the traditional Japanese arts, even if one regrets that the effectiveness of the show somewhat erases the charm of each of these arts.