Minamiza Kaomise Grand Kabuki

Before you go

Kaomise is Minamiza's annual year-end kabuki production. The name dates to the Edo period, when it was the opening production of the new year; today it is how Kyoto closes out the year. This year's title, "Ataru Hitsuji-doshi", plays on the 2027 zodiac year of the Sheep. Leading actors from the east and west troupes share the stage — hence "grand kabuki of east and west".

• Name-succession of Onoe Tatsunosuke III, with a succession piece in each half
• "Kochiyama" returns to Minamiza after 19 years
• Matinee "Ehon Taikoki" (Amagasaki scene): the Akechi Mitsuhide drama

Getting there

Minamiza: 198 Nakanomachi, Shijo-dori Yamato-oji-nishi-iru, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. Near Keihan Gion-shijo Station, Exit 6.

Booking

Tickets on sale from 9 November (Monday) via Ticket Web Shochiku and Ticket Hon Shochiku. Seat grades and prices follow the official sales page — buy early for popular dates.

Good for

Anyone interested in traditional Japanese theatre, or wanting a taste of Kyoto's year-end customs. Performed in Japanese — the costumes and staging carry it even without the language, though following the plot is harder.

How it differs

Unlike the Kabuki-za's monthly programs in Tokyo, Minamiza's kaomise happens only once a year — it's seasonal. The matinee/evening split means you can see just one half if time is tight. Compared with the Western classical concert at Rohm Theatre on 4 December, kabuki is performed in Japanese; foreign visitors mostly come for the costumes, movement and staging. Compared with tourist-oriented theatre shows like Kyoto's GEAR, kaomise is a serious traditional-arts production whose audience is mainly Japanese kabuki fans.

Kaomise is Minamiza's fixed year-end fixture. This year's focus is the name-succession of Onoe Tatsunosuke III: the matinee's "Otowadake Danmari" and the evening's "Shinpan Utazaimon" (Nozakimura) are his succession pieces. The matinee also opens with the Soga-brothers dance "Shosatsutsuki Konmoto Kusazuri", follows with the weighty "Ehon Taikoki" (Amagasaki Kan'ya scene) on Akechi Mitsuhide's rebellion, and closes with "Kochiyama" — back at Minamiza for the first time in 19 years. The evening program continues after its succession piece with three dances, "Banzai", "Onna Date" and "Dango-uri", and ends with the much-talked-about "Kobikicho no Adauchi", premiered at the Kabuki-za in April 2025.