If you are a lover of fine arts and desire to see something truly moving and beautiful, I have quite the experience for you. Whether you are a traveler in Japan, living here, or an expat, you are going to enjoy the riveting experience that comes from watching a Shiki Theatre play.
Just to start, I will let you know now that I loved it and that it was worth every penny…yen.. Ever since I first came to Japan over 9 years ago, I have seen posters for Shiki Theatre performances of Cats, The Little Mermaid, and all kinds of other famous movies from America.
Actually being able to go to one was almost like a dream come true. This is probably the closest I will get to Broadway for quite some time, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with what I got.
If you love musical theater, Broadway, Disney, or live performances, seeing a Shiki Theatre production in Japan is definitely something you should consider adding to your list.
Shiki Theatre Company (劇団四季) is a major musical theater company in Japan. They have their own Japanese works that they produce, but they also make major musical productions based on Disney’s works, as I mentioned above.
You can find Shiki Theatre venues throughout Japan, playing different shows and productions.
One of the things that I really love about Shiki Theatre is that you don’t necessarily have to be fluent in Japanese to enjoy the experience. If you already know the story of the musical you’re watching, it can be much easier to follow along and enjoy the performances, music, costumes, and sets.
As someone who loves Disney, when I was talking with my friend and we both found out that we love Disney and that she also had a Shiki membership and goes to watch them religiously, I was ecstatic when she invited me along for the ride.
Being the super fan that she is, she already has the Shiki Theatre paid membership. It currently runs as ¥4,400 per year if you subscribe to the web version, or if you get the membership that is actually mailed to you, that costs ¥5,500 per year.
If you are someone who only plans to see a Shiki Theatre performance once, it may not be best to pay for the membership….
But if you’re someone who goes several times a year, you’ll really enjoy having this membership perk because you can get advanced access to tickets, and membership pricing is eligible for certain performances.
Both things come in handy when you’re trying to see a very popular performance.
Performers
You pay what you get for, and I cannot rave about the quality enough. The performers really encapsulated the personalities of the characters they played.
Their vocal ability, intense facial expressions, and acting skills truly blew me away. It didn’t feel like I was just watching a performance. I was really watching the characters.
That’s one of the things that surprised me most about seeing live theater in Japan. You can really feel the amount of work and passion that goes into the performance.
I went to the one located in the Herbis Plaza, so you can imagine how beautiful the theater was.
It’s also great because the floors below the theater have places to eat, so my friend and I ate before going to watch the show.
You can really feel the atmosphere change when you get into the area where the theater is. There are a lot of seats, so if you’re lucky, you’ll be sitting in the front, but don’t worry if you’re sitting in the back. You can still fully enjoy the performance.
(I should also state that as soon as you walk through those doors, you are not to take pictures.)
So make sure you enjoy the experience and take in the atmosphere before the performance begins!
I cannot tell you what an honor it was for this to be my first Shiki Theatre performance.
While I mentioned a bit of what makes Shiki so special, you cannot imagine the goosebumps I felt as the church hymns played and the choir struck up.
Specifically watching The Hunchback of Notre Dame as my first Shiki Theatre performance was something like no other. Watching Frollo, Quasimodo, and Esmeralda dance and sing on stage was incredible.
I highly recommend making this your first Shiki play to see if you can catch it while it’s still available.
I’m still blown away by how they were able to even pull off arranging the sets so quickly that I didn’t even notice when they were changing, and how fluid all the movements and everything seemed to flow over the course of the 2 hours and 35 minutes I watched the show.
(There’s also a 20-minute intermission in between, so don’t worry!)
I promise, as soon as you start hearing the hymns that start for Hellfire, you will have goosebumps rise on your skin. I know I did as I watched the actor belt out the song perfectly!
Even if you don’t speak Japanese fully, I think you can enjoy this performance, especially if it’s a Disney film that you’ve seen many times.
And honestly, there is something really special about seeing a story you already know performed live in front of you.
My friend also bought merchandise afterward. All of the items were so cute!
I really liked that they had a variety of items for people to choose from and that a lot of the items were unique and something that people can use quite often.
Of course, I also think that Shiki Theatre merchandise makes a great souvenir if you’re visiting Japan and want to take a little piece of the experience home with you.
As a whole, I want to recommend Shiki to everyone, and I think that you can feel the passion from the actors, which in turn will make you feel moved by their performance.
I know I sure was. 🙂
Shiki Theatre is truly something you need to experience in Japan, and something that I think everyone can enjoy watching from the second the performance starts to the second they close the curtains.
Don’t be surprised if they run onto the stage 100 times for everyone to applaud, though, haha. I was shocked when our standing ovation lasted so long!
But the applause was well deserved, and I would have clapped for them longer if I could have.
If you are visiting Osaka, living in Japan, or simply looking for something different to do, I definitely recommend giving Shiki Theatre Osaka a try. Whether you’re a Disney fan, a lover of Broadway-style musicals, or simply someone who enjoys beautiful performances, I think you’ll find something special about watching live theater in Japan.
Until the next article, please stay happy, healthy, and excited for watching theater plays in Japan!
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