ABOUT
About this spot
Korakukan in Kosaka Town, Akita Prefecture, is a valuable playhouse that conveys the prosperity of the Meiji-era mining town to this day. Built in 1910 as a welfare facility for the Kosaka Mine, its beautiful Japanese-Western architecture, blending Japanese-style seating with a Western-style exterior, is well worth a look. Its greatest feature is that although it is a national Important Cultural Property, it is still a "working" playhouse where popular theater and kabuki are performed today. On a facility tour you can experience traditional stage mechanisms up close, such as the "hanamichi" (the walkway actors use), the manually operated "revolving stage," and the "naraku" (backstage underground), and enjoy interesting guide commentary. It is also perfect for a weekend family trip, a girls' trip, or a solo historical exploration. Feel the heat of a lively playhouse where the distance between actors and audience is small. In a space brimming with Meiji romance, you can spend a time as if you had traveled back in time.
Last updated March 28, 2026