Japan's only wooden vaudeville theater in Tokyo seeks donations

TOKYO - The only wooden traditional Japanese vaudeville theater in the capital is calling for donations to help it stay afloat amid the coronaviruses epidemic.

If the revenue decline it has suffered from the Pandemic continues, the Shinjuku Suehirotei theater is likely to go bankrupt. The Shinjuku Ward theater with its classic atmosphere is a precious venue where top-notch Showa masters of the Showa era from 1926 -- 1989 competed with each other. It has recently become the model for the Uchikutei Theater featured in the popular manga series Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo ShinjuShowa Genroku Rakugo Shinju. The theater was rebuilt in 1946, just after World War II, by Gintaro Kitamura, who would become the director of Shinjuku-sanchome downtown. Many people take commemorative pictures of the structure because it has an old-style theater atmosphere, and it is also designated as a regional cultural property by the Shinjuku Ward Office. The associations Rakugo Kyokai and Rakugo Geijutsu Kyokai alternately showcase rakugo comic storytelling performances there.

After the outbreak of the epidemic, the theater's revenue dropped by 90%, and it will run out of funds in a few months if the situation continues. The director Yoshimitsu Mayama said Suehirotei has preserved traditional vaudeville shows in Tokyo. We want to keep this place for the future. Please help Suehirotei with their support until our business recovers. The theater has launched a crowdfunding campaign with five types of gift sets in exchange for donations between 10,000 yen and 1 million yen. $7,800 is calling for support to preserve the country's traditional vaudeville culture. Details are available on the theater's website at https://www.suehirotei.com img crowdfunding.pdf in Japanese language.