Tokyo Bunka Kaikan: a Ballet Palace

Japan's oldest concert hall for Opera and Ballet

Takako Sakamoto Mar 19, 2014 - 1 min read

The stage viewed from the 2nd floor. The ceiling is so high

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan at dusk. The concert starts at 18:30

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan at twilight, just before the concert begins

The food stall on the right sells snacks, drinks, and wine

During intermission, people gather around tall tables in the lobby to eat & drink

The night I went to the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, The Paris Opera Ballet performed Don Quixote

It seems the Bolshoi Ballet company will come to Japan in Nov. 2014

The seating chart of Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Main Hall. It goes high up to the 5th floor

There is a gift shop on the right (it closes before the concert ends) and a ticket booth

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan is just across the street from JR Ueno Station

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, which is sometimes dubbed 'The Music Palace', is a classical music hall built in 1961 in response to the public's request for a venue in which to enjoy opera and ballet in Japan. When compared to new and modern halls which were recently built, it looks fairly old, yet it continues to be a palace of music and ballet even now. Located inside Ueno Park, just across the street from JR Ueno Station, it holds various concerts ranging from classical music, to opera, to ballet every month. For further information please refer to my other article on Japan Travel.

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Takako Sakamoto @takako.sakamoto

I was born in and grew up in Tokushima prefecture, and have lived in many places since then: Nishinomiya, Kyoto, Nara, Mie, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Fukuoka and Fukui. I am currently living in Yokohama City. All the places I lived, all the places I visited, I have loved dearly. The histor...