Chushingura at Kabuki-za

What is on at Kabuki-za in November 2026?

The whole of Kanadehon Chushingura, split over two parts: the matinee from 11:00 and the evening from 16:30, daily from 1 to 25 November 2026 except 9 and 17 November.

Kaomise means “face-showing”, the yearly programme that presents the season's company, and November is when Kabuki-za holds it. Kabuki Bito lists Matsumoto Koshiro and Onoe Kikugoro VIII among the cast. Each part has two casts, called A and B programmes, on different days; the cast calendar is on the Kabuki Bito play page.

Two details are worth knowing before you plan the day. Before the matinee a puppet announcer, the kojo ningyo, reads out the cast from about 10:50. And on 14 November (matinee) and 22 November (evening) the house is booked out by private groups, so regular seats show as sold out; 4th-floor single acts stay on sale on those days, per Kabuki Bito.

What is Kanadehon Chushingura about?

The 47 retainers of Ako, who wait almost two years to avenge their lord. The real incident took place in 1701 to 1703; the play, first staged by puppets in 1748, moves it to the 14th century.

Kanadehon Chushingura has 11 acts, and Kabuki-za is playing most of them this month in order. In the morning a quarrel at the shogun's court leads to the lord's death in Act 4. In the evening come the retainers' hard choices in Acts 5 to 7, and then Act 11, the night attack on the enemy's mansion.

Act 4 is a toosanba, “the scene no one passes”: entry to the auditorium is limited while it plays, Kabuki Bito says, and latecomers may have to wait. Be in your seat before 13:11 if you hold a ticket for it.

The real retainers are buried at Sengakuji, a Soto Zen temple in Takanawa, Minato, where the graves are a national historic site. The temple holds its winter Gishi-sai from 12 to 14 December 2026, per its own site, and asks for a 500-yen incense offering at the graves.

How much are Kabuki-za tickets in November 2026?

From 5,000 yen (3rd floor B) to 20,000 yen (tokuto seat or 1st-floor box) for one part in November 2026. December, with three shorter parts, runs from 4,500 to 17,000 yen.

Each ticket covers one whole part, matinee or evening. Anyone aged 30 or under can buy any class at half price on the day if seats remain. The 1st-floor boxes come without tea service this month, per Kabuki Bito. Caption devices in English or Simplified Chinese cost 1,500 yen for a full show, cash only, if you buy direct.

On GetYourGuide the Kabuki-za ticket is a first-class seat (1st or 2nd floor) or a second-class A seat on the 1st floor for one full part, with the caption device in the ticket and free cancellation up to 2 days before. Seats are allocated by the theatre in order of booking. Angelina (Apr 2026): “Super fun! The show was interesting and the subtitle device worked great.”

A first or second-class seat for the matinee or the evening of Chushingura, with English captions in the ticket and booking in English.

★ 4.8 · 3.5 hours · from $94

Explore the Kabuki-za ticket → Tour details

Are there single-act tickets for Chushingura in November 2026?

Yes, 5 of them, from 1,600 to 3,000 yen on the 4th floor in November 2026. Reserved 4th-floor seats go on sale online from noon the day before, and unreserved ones are sold at the theatre on the day.

The upgrade seat on the 2nd level costs 5,800 to 10,800 yen in November 2026. It is not sold for the matinee on 1, 14 and 18 November, or for the evening on 1 and 22 November, per the Kabuki Official Website. The 1st and 5th acts each have a short interval inside them.

Plan for the view: the 4th floor is far from the stage and the hanamichi can be partly hidden. Captions for a single act cost 1,000 yen, rented on the 4th level. Single-act holders cannot use the shops and restaurants on levels 1 to 3. The full rules are in our single-act guide.

Matinee or evening: which part of Chushingura should you book?

Pick by the story you want and the time you have. The matinee holds the beginning and the lord's death; the evening holds the revenge, ending with the night attack.

Seeing both makes a full day of about 10 hours in the theatre, with a gap of under an hour between parts. One part is plenty for a first visit. Read the story in advance either way: the free English flyer and the synopsis at the back of the programme booklet help, and our first-timer guide covers phones, food and what to wear.

Food fits the theme this month. Kabuki-za's restaurants and bento counters list a “Chushingura Gozen” set and an “Ako Gishi Bento” for November. Eat in your seat during the intervals only, never during the play.

When do December 2026 Kabuki-za tickets go on sale?

On 14 November 2026 at 10:00 JST, online and by phone. The box office sells them from 16 November.

December is a three-part month, 2 to 25 December, with parts at 11:00, 14:30 and 18:00 and no shows on 9 and 17 December. The parts are shorter, and so are the prices: 4,500 to 17,000 yen. We list the plays in our December post, next to Kyoto's Kaomise.

Booking from abroad? Shochiku's multilingual site (e-tix.jp/shochiku) sells in English until the day before, and Ticket Phone Shochiku (+81 3 6745 0888) answers in English from 10:00 JST. Shochiku's tickets cannot be cancelled or changed once bought. Teresa (Apr 2026) on the GetYourGuide ticket: “The package included a translation unit that was invaluable.”

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