昭和９年に西洋モダン風の外観で、回り舞台、奈落などを備えた本格的な芝居小屋として建てられ、歌舞伎や浪曲の上演で人気を集めました。戦後、歌謡ショー公演や映画上映など娯楽の殿堂となりましたが、後に映画の斜陽化と建物の老朽化が重なり閉館へ。山田洋次監督の『虹をつかむ男』のロケ舞台となったことがきっかけで平成11年に修復され、現在では芝居公演や映画上映のほか、市民の芸能文化の発表の場となっています。
Wakimachi Theater − Odeon-za
This theater was constructed in 1934 as a full-fledged playhouse with a revolving stage, theater basement, and a modern Western-style exterior, and it grew in popularity through kabuki and rokyoku performances. After the war, it became an entertainment hall for popular music performances and movie screenings, but the decline of the film industry and the age-related deterioration of the building led to its closure. The use of the building as a location for the film Niji wo Tsukamu Otoko by director Yoji Yamada led to renovations in 1999, and today, it is used not only for theatrical performances and film screenings, but also as a place for culture and performing arts by citizens.
