Rural kabuki in Yanagihashi, passed down by local people
Yanagihashi Kabuki
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Season / frequency
- The day before Respect for the Aged Day (Sunday) every year in September / Every year
- Location
- Yanagihashi Kabuki Heritage Hall (Kokusekiso)
- Area
- Fukushima Prefecture・Koriyama City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 20 min–1 h 40 min · bullet train)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Last updated
- 2026/10/19
This traditional performing art in Kōriyama City features local residents taking on roles both onstage and behind the scenes, presenting rural kabuki passed down since the Edo period on an open-air stage.
Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Sugikats File:柳橋歌舞伎 2017定期公演 郡山市 黒石荘舞台.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Duff Figgy File:柳橋歌舞伎伝承館 - panoramio.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 Duff Figgy https://web.archive.org/web/20161021025305/http://www.panoramio.com/photo/54261635Display size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.Photo credits and terms of use
Photographer: Sugikats File:柳橋歌舞伎 2017定期公演 郡山市 黒石荘.jpg / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Own work by the contributorDisplay size only adjusted.May differ from the event currently featured.About Yanagihashi Kabuki
Yanagihashi Kabuki is amateur kabuki, also known as rural kabuki, passed down in Yanagihashi, Nakata-machi, Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture.
It is said to have originated when villagers enjoyed plays and dances at the festival of Sugafune Shrine.
Today, regular performances are held on the open-air stage at Yanagihashi Kabuki Heritage Hall (Kokusekiso), where the tradition is preserved as part of the local cultural heritage.
Source: 柳橋歌舞伎 | 観光情報 - 郡山へ行こう：郡山市観光協会【福島県】 / 柳橋歌舞伎 - Wikipedia
Festival highlights
One of the highlights is that local residents take on not only the acting roles but also behind-the-scenes work such as costumes, sound, and gidayu narration.
Members of the preservation association and students from the local junior high school appear on stage, with the whole community supporting the performances.
Since performances take place as the day shifts from daylight to dusk and then night, you can enjoy the atmosphere of rural kabuki as the scenery changes.
Source: 郡山市指定重要無形民俗文化財である「柳橋歌舞伎」の定期公演が開催されます🎶 役者はもちろん、衣装や音響、義太夫など、あらゆる裏方までが全て地元住民で...（2026.09.12） | 郡山市観光協会 | ぐるっと郡山 / 郡山市指定重要無形民俗文化財「柳橋歌舞伎」 - 郡山市中田町観光協会
Rural kabuki in Yanagihashi, passed down by local people
What to expect
At regular performances, members of the preservation association and local junior high school students perform kabuki plays.
Past performances have included programs by the preservation association’s research group and students from Koriyama Municipal Odate Junior High School.
The program involves watching a performance on an outdoor open-air stage as the day shifts from daylight to sunset and then night.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Yanagihashi Kabuki Heritage Hall (Kokusekiso) / 51 Machimukai, Yanagihashi, Nakata-machi, Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture
- Train and bus
Take the bus bound for Ono Station from bus stop 3 in front of Koriyama Station, get off at “Yanagihashi,” and walk a short distance.
- By car
About 30 minutes from Koriyama Station, about 30 minutes from Koriyama-Higashi IC, and about 20 minutes from Funehiki-Miharu IC.
- Parking
Designated parking is available.
Address 51 Machimukai, Yanagihashi, Nakata-machi, Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture
Dates and season
- Season
The day before Respect for the Aged Day (Sunday) every year in September
- Frequency
Every year
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Fukushima Prefecture / Koriyama City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
The audience seating is outdoors, so it’s a good idea to dress for changing weather and temperatures.
The performance is described as continuing from daytime through sunset and into the night, so the surrounding light changes with the time of day.
If you come by car, follow the directions to the designated or temporary parking area.
Nearby attractions
21世紀記念公園麓山の杜
福島県郡山市にある公園
こおりやま文学の森資料館
福島県郡山市にある資料館
五百淵公園
福島県郡山市にある公園
大安場史跡公園
郡山市にある国指定史跡を中心として都市公園
安積国造神社
福島県郡山市にある神社
安積歴史博物館
福島県郡山市にある博物館
日本きもの美術館
福島県の博物館・美術館のスポットです。
田村神社 (郡山市)
福島県郡山市にある神社
郡山市ふれあい科学館
福島県郡山市にある宇宙をテーマとした科学館
郡山市歴史資料館
日本の博物館
郡山市立美術館
福島県郡山市にある美術館
郡山市開成館
福島県郡山市にある野外博物館
Origins and History of Yanagihashi Kabuki
Yanagihashi Kabuki is said to have originated when performing arts were freely practiced in the Yanagihashi area, which was tenryo (shogunal territory) during the Edo period, and villagers performed plays at the festival of Sugafune Shrine.
Performances were suspended from the Meiji era onward due to restrictions on public performances and a shortage of successors, among other factors, but they were revived in 1980 after a preservation association was established.
In 1983, it was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Koriyama City.
Official information
For inquiries, contact the Yanagihashi Kabuki Preservation Association office.
The phone number is 024-954-7959.
Information about Yanagihashi Kabuki is also available from the Koriyama City Nakata-machi Tourism Association.
Yanagihashi Kabuki at a Glance
Yanagihashi Kabuki is rural kabuki preserved and passed down by local residents in Yanagihashi, Nakata-machi, Koriyama.
Actors and backstage staff from the preservation association, along with students from the local junior high school, support the performances and present traditional plays on an outdoor open-air stage.
A regular performance that offers an up-close experience of performing arts said to have begun in the Edo period, preserved as part of the local cultural heritage.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/19
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