Osaka Shochikuza Theatre

The Neo-Renaissance facade of the Osaka Shochikuza Theatre rises above the Dotonbori district with its massive, arched entrance and terra-cotta brickwork. Opened in nineteen twenty-three, this building housed the first theater in Japan to screen Western films. When the owners shifted focus, they preserved the original brick exterior while gutting the interior to build a modern stage for traditional Kabuki performances. During the construction, workers discovered an old well buried beneath the site, which they eventually incorporated into the basement lobby.