I entered Uchiko town, then I arrived at the Uchiko-za theatre without seeing any of the old streets that I had expected to see. When I was about to pay the admission fee of Uchiko-za, I noticed a common ticket for Uchiko-za, the museum of Commerce and Living and Kamihaga house – the Wood Wax Museum, so I decided to buy this common ticket.

I asked if they could keep my backpack before entering Uchiko-za, the reception said, “May I explain if you want, do you have time?” I replied that I would love to.

]First of all, I was surprised at the stage that jumped into my view just after entering the theatre. It is not such a big space, but it is really beautiful. The audience seats are slightly sloped so that you can see the stage easily. The price was set for each “masu (square)” here, so it didn’t matter how many people were watching Kabuki inside this square, interesting 🙂

Then, on the other side of the kabuki actors’ entrance, there was a shareholder’s seat. Looking up, I saw a slightly greenish sign. The names of the stores and other businesses that have invested in Uchiko-za are on this sign.

In the Naraku – Trap cellar, you can see the mechanism of the “Suppon”, a mechanism in which a kabuki actor suddenly appears, and the mechanism of the revolving stage.

Most of the windows on the second floor are shoji screens in such places, but here they are glass windows. Some of the glass windows are uneven in thickness, as they were made in those days, making it quite atmospheric. Uchiko-za theatre was a very impressive place for me.

The old street of Uchiko town were quiet and beautiful in snow, and it made me want to wander around this town for a while. I was thankful for the fact that the pilgrimage route runs through this beautiful Uchiko town.

The wooden wax museum was also quite impressive. The house of the Kamihaga family, who made their fortune with Japanese wood wax, is a beautiful structured with a nice courtyard.