Meijiza

The name of the theater. It is located in Nihonbashi Hamacho, Chuo Ward, Tokyo. It originated from the "Three Brothers' Play" in Ryogoku at the end of the Edo period, but in 1873 (Meiji 6), the newly built Kishoza Theater was replaced by Hisamatsuza Theater and Chitoseza Theater. In November 1893, a new theater was built on this site by the first Ichikawa Sadanji and opened under the name Meijiza Theater. It became the home of the Sadanji Theater, but when the second Sadanji succeeded him, he sold it due to financial difficulties (1908), and in 1919 (Taisho 8), it was returned to Shochiku. After that, it was burned down and rebuilt repeatedly in the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) and the Pacific War (1945), and in 1950 (Showa 25), it left Shochiku's hands and became an independent theater. The building was burned down in an accident in 1982 and rebuilt in 1983. It had seating on the first to third floors, seating 1,688 people, and organized its own performances, mainly popular theater.

It closed in 1990 (Heisei 2) to make way for the construction of a new theater, and reopened in March 1993 on the site of the old theater as a theater inside an 18-story building. The theater occupies the first to fifth floors of the building, with seating for 1,368 people (with a runway) on the third to fifth floors. The opening performance was a Kabuki performance, but since then it has been hosting a variety of popular theater performances featuring popular stars and singers.

[Kiyoshi Mizuochi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

劇場名。東京都中央区日本橋浜町にある。発祥は江戸末期の両国にあった「三人兄弟の芝居」だが、1873年（明治6）新築の喜昇座が、久松座、千歳(ちとせ)座を経て、93年11月、初世市川左団次によってこの地に新劇場が建設され、明治座の座名で開場したのに始まる。左団次一座の本拠となったが、これを継いだ2世左団次の世になって経営難から売却（1908）、1919年（大正8）には松竹の手に帰した。以後、関東大震災（1923）、太平洋戦争（1945）で焼失・再建を繰り返し、50年（昭和25）には松竹の手を離れ、独立の劇場となった。建物は57年に失火焼失し、58年に再建された。客席1～3階、客席数1688、大衆演劇中心の独自の公演を組んだ。

　1990年（平成2）に新劇場建設のため閉鎖、93年3月旧劇場敷地跡に18階ビルの中の劇場として再開場した。劇場はビルの1階から5階までを占め、客席は3階から5階までで客席数は1368（花道付き）。開場公演は歌舞伎であったが、その後は人気スターや歌手を看板にした多彩な大衆演劇を上演している。

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