The Minamiza Theater Through the Eyes of a Kabuki Prodigy

Nakamura Takanosuke on Minamiza’s roof (not open to the public). Behind him is a small shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the deity of the performing arts. (© Matsuda Tadao)

The Minamiza hanamichi and stage. (Courtesy of Shōchiku)

Sharing thoughts from the first-floor seating area. (© Matsuda Tadao)

A statue of Izumo no Okuni stands on the northeast corner of Shijō Ōhashi bridge. The inscription reads, “Here, near the Kamo River around Shijō Street, is where Okuni performed her kabuki dance, sporting the stylish costumes of free-spirited males.” At right, a monument marking the birthplace of “Okuni kabuki” stands along the western wall of Minamiza. (© Matsuda Tadao)

Minamiza’s stately Momoyama-style façade, photographed in November 2024. The yagura near the roof, detailed at right, certified that the theater was licensed by the Edo shogunate. (© Matsuda Tadao)

The opening day of the 2018 kaomise performance at Minamiza. The maneki signboards bearing the names of featured actors include those of Hakuō, Kōshirō, Somegorō, and many other top performers. (© Jiji Press)

The view from the third-floor seating area, favored by kabuki connoisseurs. The curved gable above the stage is a unique Minamiza feature. (Courtesy of Shōchiku)

Takanosuke is fond of Minamiza’s lobby, decorated with a painting of a Taishō-era performance of Kanjinchō. (© Matsuda Tadao)

Takanosuke stands before the Uchōten kazoku and the kaomise posters at Minamiza, where he performed for two straight months at the end of 2024. (© Matsuda Tadao)

Young, apprentice geishas attending Minamiza’s kaomise performance in 2022. (© Kyōdō)

As the star of Uchōten kazoku, Takanosuke was given his own dressing room. (© Matsuda Tadao)

He will be performing at the New Year Asakusa Kabuki, considered a “gateway to success” for up-and-coming actors, in January 2025. (© Matsuda Tadao)