Tokyo Entertainment

  1. Aoyama Enkei Gekijō

    Found within Kodomo-no-Shiro (National Children's Castle) this midsized round theatre stages musicals, ballet and modern dance. Though the theatre is lovely, performances tend toward the conservative. Because of the venue's location, many programmes are ideal for kids.

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  2. Cerulean Tower Nō Theatre

    Performances in Japanese are sometimes held in this traditional theatre (you can also pop by just to admire it between and daily) in the Cerulean Tower Tōkyū Hotel.

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  3. Cine Amuse East & West

    Equipped with two screens and an excellent sound system, Cine Amuse has regular screenings of Japanese movies subtitled in English, as well as international releases. It's a small but comfy space, and well-placed for post-cinema amusement in Shibuya.

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  4. Cine Amuse East/West

    This well-known arthouse standby screens Japanese and foreign classics, as well as new independent releases. Coffee, beer and snacks are available at the small café in the lobby. This is a great place to take a break from Shibuya's hectic pace while taking in a matinée.

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  5. Cinema Mediage

    This enormous 3000-seat multiplex shows Japanese and foreign films, many of which are subtitled and some of which are dubbed into Japanese. Check the Japan Times or Metropolis for current listings. Mediage is located inside the Aqua City shopping centre.

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  6. Cinema Rise

    Cinema Rise screens independent international cinema, but very few indie Japanese films. Just around the corner is an even more avant-garde space called Rise X (03 3464 8555), a tiny offshoot of Cinema Rise that screens mostly Japanese digital films.

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  7. Die Pratze

    Home to experimental theatre group OM-2, this small space features a variety of genres, from ballet to butō (contemporary dance style) to experimental performance pieces. Die Pratze is northwest of the Imperial Palace, near Kagurazaka Station.

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  8. Eurospace

    The focus at this fine theatre remains unwaveringly on small European films. Eurospace also occasionally hosts documentary or feature-film festivals, which will be listed in the major English-language weeklies; and sometimes screens late shows.

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  9. Kokuritsu Nō-Gakudō

    This theatre stages the traditional chants and dances is famous for, as well as the kyōgen (short, lively comic farces) interludes that serve as cathartic comic relief. The stark legends and historical dramas unfold on an elegant cypress stage.

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  10. Motown House 1 & 2

    The crass may call it 'ho town', but on the pick-up front it's no worse (or better?) than its neighbours, and since it expanded to two venues, it can actually be quite relaxed. Drinks start at around ¥800 . Funk, soul, R&B and hip-hop dominate here, of course.

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  12. National Nō Theatre

    The National Nō Theatre stages its own (classical Japanese musical dramas) performances on weekends only, for which it provides printed English synopses, but it also hosts privately-sponsored performances. Exit Sendagaya Station in the direction of Shinjuku on the left and follow the road that hugs the railway tracks; the theatre will be on the left.

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  13. National Theatre

    Otherwise known as Kokuritsu Gekijō, this theatre features astonishingly lifelike bunraku puppets half to two-thirds life-size and each operated by three hooded, visible puppeteers. A single narrator, standing on a dais to one side, intones the story using a different voice for each character. Performances take place in Tokyo in February, May, September and December.

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  14. Session House

    Most dance aficionados consider Session House one of the best traditional, folk and modern dance spaces in the city. The small theatre seats only 100 people, which means that all performances have an intimate feel to them.

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  15. Suzunari Theatre

    A good bit of Japanese would be helpful in getting the gist of these underground theatre pieces. Like most avant-garde theatre, plays here tend towards experimental explorations of contemporary issues.

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  16. Virgin Toho Cinemas Roppongi Hills

    Virgin's nine-screen multiplex has the biggest screen in Japan, as well as luxurious reclining seats and Internet booking up to two days in advance for reserved seats. This state-of-the-art theatre also holds all-night screenings on nights before holidays.

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