Tokyo Shiki Theatres

At first glance, you may feel the modern architecture and subdued exterior colors lack the charm of the antique theatres lining Broadway and the West End. However, step inside a Shiki Theatre and the deceptively large, well-appointed interiors and Broadway-level performances will feel like home to any theatre buff.

The Shiki Theatre Company operates nine official theatres across the country, five of which are located in Tokyo. This means you can treat yourself to a Broadway-worthy show any day of the week. Shiki means “four seasons” and its Tokyo theatres are suitably named: Aki (Autumn), Haru (Spring), Natsu (Summer), Umi (Sea), and Jiyu (Freedom).

Each theatre specializes in a different kind of show. Haru, the biggest of the five, houses long-run productions of popular Broadway and West End shows.

Across the lobby, Aki, which shares the building with Haru, stages everything from plays to original Japanese musicals to revivals of popular shows from abroad. Its roster changes constantly. Next door, Jiyu specializes in short-run plays and musicals. Aki, Haru, and Jiyu are located in Hamamatsucho and form Japan’s largest theatre complex.

Umi, which puts on shows such as Aladdin, is located on the basement level of nearby, newly refurbished Shiosite in Shiodome. It is the second largest Tokyo Shiki theatre and thus well-suited to one of Disney’s larger scale productions in recent history. Natsu, located a bit further away in Oimachi, typically performing Disney hits such as The Little Mermaid.

While the popularity of Shiki’s shows can make getting last-minute tickets a little difficult, you can always check ticket availability through their website. All five theatres are near delicious restaurants, so it’s easy to do dinner-and-a-show. Shows do tend to start a little early here though, so double check starting and ending times when making dinner arrangements.