My First Time at the Tokyo Kabukiza!! In a Sajiki Box Seat!!

The Osaka Shochikuza closed in May. As an Osakan left with a sense of unfinished business, I headed to the Kabukiza in Tokyo with great enthusiasm.
I hope this record of my journey and experience will be helpful to those interested in the Kabukiza's Sajiki box seats.
I will write about the program in a separate article.

Purchasing Tickets

Simultaneous Sales on a Monthly Basis

I purchased my ticket through 'Ticket Web Shochiku.' I am a free member.
I applied for June tickets in May.
Paid members (Shochiku Kabuki-kai) can apply one day earlier than free members (general). Therefore, for general members, whether you can get a good seat depends on luck (and whether any are left).

To My Surprise, There Was a Vacancy in the Sajiki Box Seats

Since I was traveling all the way from Osaka to Tokyo for a performance, I wanted to watch from a good seat!!
Sales started at 10:00 AM, so I opened the site during my lunch break at work.
I checked for any available Sajiki seats, not expecting much, and to my surprise, there was one spot left. I was nervous until the purchase was confirmed, but I managed to secure a Sajiki seat.
I did it.

It probably depends on the program and the day of the week, but it seems you don't necessarily have to be there right at 10:00 AM on the first day of sales to buy one.

What Are Sajiki Seats?

"Great seats" in many ways

I borrowed the seating chart from the official website. The areas on both sides closest to the stage are the Sajiki seats.
There are 10 boxes on the east and west sides, and each box is a pair of two seats.

Sajiki seats have a better view because they are one level higher than other seats. Each box is partitioned off, and you enter through a private door, take off your shoes, and the seating area is a horigotatsu (sunken kotatsu). The seats are also much wider and more spacious than regular seats.
There are hooks to hang your coat, and there is plenty of room to place your personal belongings.
To put it in one word, they are "great seats in many ways."

Bento Delivery Service

You can have a bento delivered to your Sajiki seat. During the performance, they will bring the bento to your seat in time for the intermission.

You make a reservation by phone and pay on the day at the venue.
Instead of eating a bento on your lap like in a regular seat, you can enjoy it comfortably at a table. Is it a bit expensive? No, no!!
If you are going to a Sajiki seat, a bento is a must.
I'll write about the contents of the bento later.

The Journey from Shin-Osaka (For an 11:00 AM Matinee)

If you leave Shin-Osaka at 7:00 AM, you'll be at Tokyo Station by 9:30 AM!!

When heading from Osaka to the Kabukiza, I think this Shinkansen schedule is realistic. Unless you are very familiar with Tokyo, it is better to act with plenty of time to spare.

Take the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line for one stop to Ginza, then transfer to the Hibiya Line for one stop to Higashi-Ginza Station (the closest station to the Kabukiza).

I thought it was just two subway stops, but it took more time than I expected 😓
The thing is, the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line platform is far from the Shinkansen Tokyo Station! In Osaka terms, it's as far as the distance from JR Osaka Station to the Higashi-Umeda subway station.
(According to Gemini, the distance is about the same. It seems it's closer than Nankai Namba to JR Namba. Well, it doesn't really matter.)

Arrive at the Kabukiza by 10:00 AM!!

If the performance starts at 11:00 AM, the doors open at 10:30 AM, but you should aim to arrive at the Kabukiza by 10:00 AM. Since you're at the Kabukiza, time will fly by as you pick out souvenirs and take photos.
At the Minamiza or Shochikuza (though it's closed now 😢), you have no choice but to wait in front of the theater until the doors open, but at the Kabukiza, you can wait while shopping in the underground shopping street 'Kobikicho Hiroba' (which opens at 9:30 AM).
Plus, it's directly connected to Higashi-Ginza Station, making it perfect for meeting up.

I ended up doing some shopping right away, but it's a brilliant design that gets you in the mood before the show starts. I'm also happy that you can buy the performance program in advance; it's a huge help for someone like me who wants to read the synopsis properly beforehand.

Once you're done shopping, head up to the ground floor and take a commemorative photo in front of the building. Seeing the building that's often on the news really gets you excited✨️
There are a lot of people, so be careful not to get in anyone's way.

10:30 AM, doors open!!

There will be a line to enter right when the doors open, so don't rush; just join the line and head in. By coincidence, the day we visited was 'Earphone Guide Free Day,' which happens once a month. As soon as we entered, we were lent an earphone guide 'for free.' Score!💰️

First, I'm going to pay for the bento I reserved. I'll tell them my name and seat number to pay. In these kinds of busy situations, my style is to pay with exact change to get it done quickly😏

Saji-jiki Box Seats!! Heading to our seats!!

A view of the doors lined up

There's a row of doors. Each box has its own door. Amazing😳

Bento time!!

When the first act ends, it's time for the long-awaited bento. While the show was on, the bento set in its insulated case was delivered to the shoe-removal area.
They even brought a stand and placed it on top. Lovely.

Ta-da!!

It's a two-tiered box with clear soup. The soup is served by pouring it from a thermos into a bowl.
This is more of a full-course meal than a bento. There's even warabi-mochi in the front right.
This is great. It's delicious, of course, but that's not all. Being able to eat in a relaxed manner at a table is the best.
My wife is also happy with her sparkling wine🍷
(We went out to the lobby to buy the drinks)

One more break!!

During the next break, we had this. I bought it at the same time I bought the drinks.

Kabuki-age is delicious!! That sweet soy sauce flavor is the best.
They were selling large individual packs at the theater, but for souvenirs, they had types filled with lots of 'petit' (small) Kabuki-age. As expected, they're very thoughtful.

My thoughts on the Sajiki box seats!!

Super comfortable!!

Above all, I didn't expect it to be this comfortable, with plenty of room to sit and a great view. I've experienced third-floor side seats at the Minami-za and Shochiku-za theaters, but you can barely see the hanamichi (runway) from there.

However, you can see the hanamichi well from the first-floor Sajiki seats. Since they are built one level higher, even shorter people can watch comfortably.
Even a tall person like me could stretch out or shift positions without worrying about the people behind me, and the width was spacious and incredibly comfortable. I'm very satisfied.

It stands out (lol).

Because of the location and the fact that it's one level higher, it stands out a lot. I 'definitely' felt the gazes of other customers glancing over as they passed by. I don't mind, though (lol).

Standing out is the same during the performance. You shouldn't put unnecessary items on the seat's table. The lighting will reflect off them, which becomes a nuisance to others.
While watching the play, I felt like the actors were looking at us.
Since 'being able to see well from here' means 'being able to be seen well from there,' I tried my best to make sure my applause reached them 👏
Being able to clap above my head without worrying about the person behind me is unique to the Sajiki seats. Maybe I could have even stood up to clap 😋

Sajiki seats are the best!!

I was lucky that there was an opening and I could sit in a Sajiki seat; it was the best theater-going experience.
The prices fluctuate depending on the performance, but here are the prices for the June Grand Kabuki I saw.

If you're going all the way to Tokyo by Shinkansen, I thought the Sajiki seats were worth aiming for. I'd think twice if I were watching both the day and night shows, but even then, I don't think it's too expensive.
Or rather, considering that the market price for concert tickets is rising, I think it's actually cheap.

Afterword

If you're going to the theater, a Sajiki seat will definitely make for a good memory✨️
In recent years, popular concerts have reached an era where you have to book tickets a year in advance, but for Kabuki, you book one to two months ahead, so you can wait until your plans are set. Actually, I get restless if things are decided too far in advance, so I'd prefer this kind of schedule 😅

Cinema Kabuki and streaming are nice, but watching a performance in person is truly something special.
After Kabukiza, maybe the Shinbashi Enbujo next?
I've started wanting to go to the Meiji-za, Hakata-za, Izushi Eirakukan, Konpira-san, and Uchiko-za too. (It's free to just say it 🤪)

Traveling for theater was a great experience✨

I'll write my thoughts on the play in a separate article✒️