Hanzomon

  

Hanzomon Station lies on the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line in Chiyoda Ward near Hanzomon Gate of the Imperial Palace. From 1982 to 1989, the station was the eastern terminal of Hanzomon Line. Today it is used as a terminal only for some morning rush hour trains.

 

Area around Hanzomon Station:

 

The area around Hanzomon Station was a residential area of the samurai during the Edo Period. After the Meiji Restoration, politicians and other people moved in and slowly it developed into a high class residential area that it is today. Despite its modernization, this area still holds an aura of the olden days.

 

National Theater of Japan

 

The National Theater of Japan, or Kokuritsu Gekijo in Japanese, which stands near Hanzomon Station, is a perfect example of beautiful Japanese tradition. Designed after the Azekura style of Todaiji Temple near Nara, it is the only classical art theater of the country. It is managed and operated by the Japan Arts Council, which is an independent administration institution of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The main purpose and aim of the Council is to promote and stage traditional Japanese performing arts.

 

The Theater complex consists of two buildings with three halls. The halls are:

 

1. Large Theater : The Large Theater, which can seat 1,610 people, holds performances of Bunraku traditional puppet theater), Kabuki (traditional performances about historical events, moral conflicts in love relationships, etc), Buyô (Japanese traditional dance), Hogaku (Japanese traditional music), and Minzoku Geinô (folk performing arts).

 

2. Small Theater : The Small Theater's performances include Bunraku (traditional puppet theatre), Kabuki (traditional performances about historical events, moral conflicts in love relationships, etc), Buyô (Japanese traditional dance), Hogaku (Japanese traditional music), and Minzoku Geinô (folk performing arts). This Theater can seat 590 people.

 

3. National Engei Hall : National Engei Hall can seat 300 people. It holds performances of Yose (Rakugo story-telling, etc).

 

The third building of the complex is the Traditional Performing Arts Information 

Centre. The Center has an Information Exhibition Hall on the first floor (with various exhibits of materials, sound, and images); a Reading Room on the second floor (which has reference books and pictures on traditional performing arts); and a Lecture Room on the third floor (where lectures on the performing arts are held).

 

Nippon Camera Museum (JCII Camera Museum )

 

Located just a 2-minute walk from Exit 5 of Hanzomon Station, Nippon Camera Museum, also known as JCII Camera Museum, was established in 1954 and opened to the public in 1989. Managed and operated by JCII (Japan Camera Industry Institute), its purpose is to expose people to cameras and preserve the history of cameras and photography. The museum's significant aspect is that its exhibits pertain to all the different stages of worldwide history of photography.

 

The JCII Camera Museum has a Special Exhibition Section with various types of cameras from all over the world. The second section is the JCII Photo Salon. This section exhibits a wide assortment of photographs. The third section is the JCII Library with a large selection of books on photography.