Naka no Shibai

Naka no Shibai (中の芝居, Central Theatre), also known as Naka-za (中座), was one of the major kabuki theatres in Osaka, Japan.

History

It was first built in 1652, in Osaka's Dotonbori entertainment district, and saw the premieres of many famous plays; closely related to the nearby jōruri theatres, Naka would often be the first to adapt puppet plays to the kabuki stage, and often also arranged the Kamigata (Kansai) premieres of plays earlier performed in Edo. Also tied closely to other theatres in the area, and the general theatre culture and community of Kamigata, Naka hosted a number of competitions between actors and troupes, as well as reconciliation ceremonies between actors who had been feuding, and a variety of other theatrical community events.

Some of the plays premiered at the Naka no Shibai include Natsu Matsuri Naniwa Kagami (1745), Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura (Aug. 1748), and Kanadehon Chūshingura (Dec. 1748) which was first performed as a puppet play six months earlier. Ichi-no-Tani Futaba Gunki was first performed in Osaka, at the Naka no Shibai, in 1752, as was Meiboku Sendai Hagi in 1777.