Renewed kabuki theater lights up

The new design features some elements of the pre-reconstruction,

specifically the traditional brick gable architecture, but a new 

high-rise office block will be added to the current four-story

theater building. The new complex will also provide space for

evacuees in case of possible disasters, Shochiku President Jay

Sakomoto said.

The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing (歌), dance (舞), and skill (伎). Kabuki is therefore sometimes translated as "the art of singing and dancing". These are, however, ateji characters which do not reflect actual etymology. The kanji of 'skill' generally refers to a performer in kabuki theatre. Since the word kabuki is believed to derive from the verb kabuku, meaning "to lean" or "to be out of the ordinary", kabuki can be interpreted as "avant-garde" or "bizarre" theatre.^[1] The expression kabukimono (歌舞伎者) referred originally to those who were bizarrely dressed and swaggered on a street.   -Wikipedia


http://www.japantoday.com/category/national/view/renewed-kabuki-theater-lights-up

Renewed kabuki theater lights up
NATIONAL FEB. 17, 2013 - 06:28AM JST ( 1 )

Performers at the Kabuki-za theatre in Tokyo on 16 January 2006
AFP
TOKYO (AFP)

Lights have begun to shine on Tokyo’s celebrated home of traditional kabuki theater, as the renovated venue prepares to raise the curtains on a new era.

The new Kabuki-za, part of a 29-story office building in the upscale Ginza shopping district, has now started an evening illumination program ahead of its April opening.

The theater occupies the bottom floors of the tower, retaining some elements of the original facade, which evokes medieval Japanese castles and temples with its curved roofs and red paper lanterns.

Standing 145 meters high, the new skyscraper is the tallest building in the area. Overlooking an eastern section of the Japanese capital, the summit of Mount Fuji can be seen on clear days.

For decades, the Kabuki-za has been the premiere venue to see the 400-year-old stylised performing art, whose all-male casts perform in extravagant costumes and mask-like facial makeup.

The new four-story playhouse, with an 1,800-seat capacity, is the fifth version of the theater, whose history dates back to 1889.

The previous building, which was built in 1951 to replace the one that was heavily damaged in World War II, was demolished in 2010 due to worries over its ability to withstand earthquakes.

The new building has been designed to function as a refuge in case of disasters such as earthquakes, as communities across Japan heighten their disaster readiness in light of the deadly earthquake and tsunami of 2011.