Expert recommendations of the top dance, theater, and classical music performances.
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Kabuki-za Theater
Tokyo’s signature performing art features amazing costumes, battle scenes, and stagecraft; melodramas of samurai and courtesans played by all-male performers; rent the English blow-by-blow audio narration. Tickets start at about $20. 4-12-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku; tel. +81 3 3541 3131. www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater
New National Theater Tokyo
Opened in 1997; top venue for opera, ballet, and contemporary dance. Expect crowd-pleasers like Carmen, La Traviata, and Swan Lake, and more obscure, adventurous fare. 1-1-1 Honmachi, Shibuya-ku; tel. +81 3 5351 3011; www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english
Noh
This hypnotic, sonorous theater art is the world’s oldest continuously in performance. Reminiscent of classical Greek theater; employs masks, grand robes, and great allegory. Tip: Read the synopsis before the show. Cerulean Tower Noh Theater (26-1 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku; tel. +81 3 3477 6412), or National Noh Theater (4-18-1 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku; tel +81 3 3423 1331).
Takarazuka Theater
All-female counterpart to the all-male Kabuki stage; presents revues and dramas; expect tuxes; English synopses available. Tickets from $33. 1-1-3 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku; tel. +81 3 5251 2001. kageki.hankyu.co.jp/english
Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
Led by the Korean conductor Myung-Whun Chung; performs in venues including Suntory Hall and Tokyo Opera City (both worth a visit for their renowned acoustics). www.tpo.or.jp/english/index.html
