What is ji-kabuki?

Ji-kabuki (地歌舞伎), literally “local kabuki,” is kabuki performed by people of the community rather than by professional actors.

It is very much alive in Gifu Prefecture. According to the prefecture’s official tourism site, more than 30 ji-kabuki preservation groups are active in Gifu, and nine historic playhouses survive.

Tokiwa-za, a theater paid for with rice

Tokiwa-za in Nakatsugawa is a historic playhouse where ji-kabuki is still performed. In 1891, local people donated rice to pay for its construction. It has a revolving stage, two hanamichi walkways and box seating arranged in a U shape, and it holds up to 500 people.

Ji-kabuki in Nakatsugawa

Nakatsugawa City introduces three historic playhouses: Tokiwa-za; Kashimo Meiji-za, built in 1894 and an Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property of Gifu Prefecture; and Ebisu-za, built in 1901, a Tangible Folk Cultural Property of Nakatsugawa City that hosts ji-kabuki every October. Japan’s national tourism organization, JNTO, notes that Nakatsugawa has six ji-kabuki preservation groups.

Kabuki at Tokiwa-za

At Tokiwa-za, the Tokiwa-za Kabuki Preservation Society keeps amateur and children’s kabuki going. It holds a regular performance every year and runs kabuki classes, including one for children. Sources give different months for the annual performance, so we will confirm the date before announcing it.

We are also planning theater tours and hands-on kabuki experiences for travelers. Details, prices and dates have not been decided yet; see Experiences.

Sources

• Gifu Prefecture official tourism site: Ji-kabuki (Japanese)
• Nakatsugawa City: Playhouses and ji-kabuki of Nakatsugawa (Japanese)
• JNTO: Nakatsugawa, the town of ji-kabuki
• Nakatsugawa City: Tokiwa-za (Japanese)
• Higashi-Mino tourism guide: Tokiwa-za (Japanese)

All sources were checked on September 27, 2026. Most of them are in Japanese.