Must-see entertainment in Kansai

  • Namba Bears

    Osaka

    For going on three decades this has been the place to hear underground music live in Osaka. It's a small, bare-concrete, smokey space – well suited to the…

  • OSAKA, JAPAN - AUGUST 11:     'Sonezaki Sinju' is performed at the National Bunraku Theatre on August 11, 2005 in Osaka, Japan. (Photo by The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images)
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    National Bunraku Theatre

    Osaka

    The classical performing art most associated with Osaka is bunraku, which makes dramatic use of highly sophisticated puppets. Visiting the theatre is a…

  • Sumo wrestlers  in Osaka; Japan

    Sumo Spring Tournament

    Osaka

    The big fellas rumble into Osaka in March for this major tournament, held in the EDION Arena (Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (府立体育会館) in Namba. Tickets (from…

  • Sone

    Kōbe

    Sone is Kōbe's go-to spot for jazz (since 1969) and gathers four acts, of mostly Kansai-area artists, each night. The look is a bit old-timey Viennese…

  • Kyōcera Dome

    Osaka

    Also known as Osaka Dome, this futuristic stadium is home to the Orix Buffaloes baseball team. While the Buffaloes may not have the following of the…

  • Fandango

    Osaka

    This much-loved live house is an Osaka institution and favours Japanese punk rock and experimental noise bands; check the website for the gig schedule…

  • Hokage

    Osaka

    Looking like an office with the inner walls ripped out (which is entirely likely), Hokage seems to be made for its rock, punk and noise bands. It's a…

  • Osaka Nōgaku Hall

    Osaka

    A five-minute walk east of Hankyū Umeda Station, this theatre stages nō (stylised dance-drama) performances a few times each month. Look for the relief of…

  • Osaka Shochiku-za

    Osaka

    This neo-Renaissance building (1923), modelled after Milan's La Scala, was the first Western-style theatre built in Kansai. It occasionally hosts kabuki…

  • Shin-Kabuki-za Theatre

    Osaka

    Inside a shopping mall, this theatre – despite the word kabuki in the name – shows mostly comedy and period dramas (in Japanese).