A Kabuki-Style Theatre Built by the Hitachi Mine
The Former Kyorakukan (Hitachi Budokan) (旧共楽館（日立武道館）, Kyu Kyorakukan) is a two-storey timber former theatre built in 1917 in Shiroganecho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture, which in 1999 was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a sheet-metal roof and a building area of 1,200 square metres. It belongs to Hitachi City and was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape.
The Agency describes a large gable-entry theatre built by the Hitachi Mine for its workers and the local community, said to have been modelled on the Kabukiza in Tokyo.
A Palace of Entertainment in a Mining Town
The Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education says the Former Kyorakukan stood at the heart of the district that grew into the commercial centre of the mining town as the Hitachi Mine expanded from the late Meiji into the Taisho years. True to its name, meaning shared enjoyment, it was a welfare and recreation hall for mine workers and residents.
The ground floor had bench seating and the upper floor tatami seating, with a revolving stage and a hanamichi walkway, and it could hold about 1,800 people. Kabuki, variety shows and film screenings made it central to cultural life in the Hitachi area.
After the war, television and new amusements ended its shows and films in the latter half of the Showa 30s, and it was used for community and school gatherings. On 1 October 1967 Nippon Mining donated it to Hitachi City, which partly remodelled the interior and has used it since as the Hitachi Budokan martial arts hall.
Structure and Design
According to the board of education, it was designed by an engineer of the Hitachi Mine. While following the plan of the Kabukiza, it applied Western structural engineering to achieve a clear span of 22 metres. The cusped gables and coffered ceilings show traditional Japanese design.
The Agency notes two-storey stair halls with cusped-gable roofs on either side of the main entrance. The interior has been converted into an indoor sports hall, but the imposing exterior has become a symbol of the area.
The seating, stage and hanamichi were removed when it became the martial arts hall, so the theatre now survives chiefly in its exterior.
Visiting the Former Kyorakukan
The Former Kyorakukan is now Hitachi City's Hitachi Budokan. The exterior can be seen from the street. The interior is used for martial arts training and competitions, so contact Hitachi City if you wish to see inside.
According to the Kyorakukan preservation group, it is about 12 minutes by Ibaraki Kotsu bus route 60 bound for Higashi-Gochi from the central exit of JR Hitachi Station, alighting at Hitachi Budokan-mae. It is about 10 minutes by taxi, or about 5 minutes by car from the Hitachi-chuo interchange of the Joban Expressway.
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Q&A
- When was the Former Kyorakukan built?
- In 1917, by the Hitachi Mine as a theatre for its workers and local residents.
- What was the Former Kyorakukan modelled on?
- According to the Agency and Ibaraki Prefecture, the Kabukiza in Tokyo.
- How many people could the Former Kyorakukan hold?
- About 1,800, according to the Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education.
- How is the Former Kyorakukan used today?
- It was donated to Hitachi City in 1967 and is used as the Hitachi Budokan martial arts hall.
- How do I get to the Former Kyorakukan?
- About 12 minutes by Ibaraki Kotsu bus from the central exit of JR Hitachi Station to Hitachi Budokan-mae.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kyorakukan (Hitachi Budokan) (旧共楽館（日立武道館）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 2-21-15 Shiroganecho, Hitachi City, Ibaraki Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1999/7/8 (Heisei 11) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, sheet-metal roof, building area 1,200 square metres |
| Owner | Hitachi City |
| Public Access | In use as the Hitachi Budokan; exterior visible from the street |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Former Kyorakukan (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001165
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Kyorakukan (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/147775
- Ibaraki Prefectural Board of Education: Former Kyorakukan (Japanese)
- https://kyoiku.pref.ibaraki.jp/bunkazai/bunkazai-registered-6488/
- Hitachi City: Kuhara Fusanosuke (Japanese)
- https://www.city.hitachi.lg.jp/citypromotion/hitachi_donnamachi/1007477/1011149/1010610/1004704/1004710.html
- Kyorakukan Preservation Group: Location (Japanese)
- https://www.kyorakukan-tsudoi.com/access/
Last verified: 2026.09.27