Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
controversial dance dramas.
d Map D6 • 2-12 Nishi-Gokencho,
Shinjuku-ku • 3235-7990
Top 10 Films
Set in Tokyo
! Stray Dog (1949)
* New National Theater
A rare chance to see what
Tokyo's downtown streets
looked like in the post-war era.
@ Tokyo Story (1953)
Each of the three stages
here, Playhouse, Opera House,
and the Pit, caters to a different
audience. Modern interpretations
of Western classics by cutting-
edge Japanese directors are
highly regarded, though most
foreign visitors prefer the more
visual events like modern dance.
d Map A4 • 1-1-1 Honmachi, Shibuya-ku
• 5351-3011 • Open 10am-7pm
Yasujiro Ozu's classic, set
mostly in a downtown area of
the city, explores the collapse
of the Japanese family.
# Godzilla (1954)
Awakened by the A-bomb,
the giant lizard stumbles
through the city until pacified
by Japanese scientists.
$ Diary of a Shinjuku
( Bunkamura
Thief (1968)
Nagisa Oshima's film explores
the minds of young Japanese
radicals in this audacious film.
% Akira (1988)
Theater Cocoon
Housed in the huge Bunkamura
culture and arts center, the
Cocoon hosts concerts, musi-
cals, and opera. A medium-sized
theater, it is best known for
performances of contemporary
dance, ballet, and a long involve-
ment with flamenco dance and
music troupes from Spain.
d Map Q5 • 2-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-
ku • 3477-9111 • Open 10am-7pm
Set in the year 2030,
Katsuhiro Otomo's full-length
animation is based on his own
four-volume comic book.
^ Tokyo Pop (1988)
Fran Rubel Kuzui's story of
an American singer cast adrift
in the world of Japanese pop.
& Neon Genesis
Evangelion (1997)
Anno Hideaki's apocalyptic
fantasy, set in a city resemb-
ling Tokyo, is a cult classic.
* Shall We Dance? (1997)
Tokyo night scenes form
the backdrop to this story of a
salaryman who finds a higher
purpose in ballroom dancing.
Revivalist-style Kabuki-za Theater building
( Kill Bill: Vol 1 (2000)
) Kabuki-za Theater
A legendary samurai sword
enables Uma Thurman to leave
behind a trail of destruction in
this Tarantino film.
Dating from 1949, this
Baroque Japanese revivalist-style
building stages Kabuki shows.
Full dramas of three to four acts
can extend throughout an after-
noon or evening. Single-act
tickets provide a shorter, more
accessible entrée into Kabuki
for the first timer (see p73) .
) Lost in Translation
(2003)
A fine performance from Bill
Murray, but Sofia Coppola's
stereotypical view of Tokyo,
is oddly dated.
59
The annual Die Pratze Dance Festival is held at the Azabu
Die Pratze theater in August.
 
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