Kazui's Private Kabuki Tour
Kazui's Private Kabuki Tour
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About
Kabuki is a very fascinating performing art. I have enjoyed Kabuki for many years! I wish to share my many experiences and knowledge; to show guests a part of the Japan I love as a Japanese person. I want many people to enjoy Kabuki as I do, but I think pople can enjoy Kabuki more with some information before you rent the subtitle devices.
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Kazui's Private Kabuki Tour
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5.0
98 reviews
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Daveydoggg
West Chester56 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
This was an amazing thing to do on our Japan trip! We'd heard great things about seeing a Kabuki show in Japan, but difficult to arrange on our own. We luckily found Kazui's site and she was absolutely wonderful! We had great, timely communication, she bought us about the best seats in the theater, after giving us a lot of options with photos and maps of seats, and arranged lunch delivery to our box during intermission. She met with us an hour prior to the show and gave us a great explanation of Kabuki and it's history, along with "rules" to follow during the performance. A MUST on your Japan trip; great experience!
Written 21 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JESUS B
6 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
A must do! I wanted to experience Kabuku; but was hesitant due the language barrier. Kazui friendly introductory chat over tea, her guide notes and her tips ensured that we could enjoy everything. I was worried the program was long, but it flew by thanks to Kazui's help. She also found tickets where we wanted and with food we could eat at the intermission. Thank you Kazui!
Written 12 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christopher L
1 contribution
Oct 2023 • Couples
We discovered an appreciation for an art we didn't previously understand thanks to Kazui's skillful explanation and her passion for Kabuki. It was our first time seeing Kabuki, and, though the visceral experience would have been enough to entertain us, Kazui's guidance enabled us to truly experience a fresh and unique performance art. Her pleasant and info-packed chat over tea before the show gave us the insight to engage the drama and dance we saw on a whole other level.
Written 10 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sara L
West Hollywood, CA3 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
My husband and I joined Kazui for a guided tour of Kabukiza. Kazui’s passion and appreciation for kabuki is evident and gave us a window into this theater tradition. We were able to enjoy the performance on our own after her lecture. I don’t speak Japanese but I was able to follow the story from the English synopsis Kazui provided. I even laughed at the humorous moments because the context was clear to follow. The costumes, set design, make-up, dance and music are intricately woven together, and thanks to Kazui we were able to understand what we were seeing and hearing. What a great introduction to kabuki. We are so glad we took this tour.
Written 6 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dogyear
7 contributions
Aug 2023 • Friends
If you want to get tickets to a Kabuki performance while in Tokyo, I highly recommend Kazui's Private Kabuki Tour. From Los Angeles where I live, I googled how I could get tickets to see a Kabuki show during our planned August trip to Tokyo. I found a phone number that I was supposed to call as soon as tickets went on sale. I was going to wake up at some crazy time to try to get tickets. I thought, “Is this going to be like getting Taylor Swift tickets? Ugh!” Then, I stumbled Kazui's Private Kabuki Tour information on Tripadvisor. I emailed Kazui, and promptly received a reply. Kazui answered all my questions. From that initial contact to her escorting us to the Kabukiza entrance, interacting with Kazui was smooth and pleasant.
As well as the Kabuki tickets, I opted for the explanation of Kabuki and the scheduled performance over tea with Kazui. We met Kazui an hour and a half prior to the show and walked to a very cool well-established tea shop that was founded in 1854. The tea shop itself was a gem of an experience. Kazui’s presentation was thorough and engaging. I learned so much. If you are new to Kabuki/interested in learning more about Kabuki, I highly recommend adding this option!
We purchased box seats and added the lunches that were discreetly delivered behind the curtain of our box during the performance. The lunch was hugh-end, delicious, exquisitely served in two-tiered lacquer boxes. Along with others in the theater, we ate our lunches during the 30 min intermission. It was fun. Another thing we were pleased with that was huge for us senior citizens was even though the box seats are tatami and you have to remove your shoes, when you sit, there is a space for your legs, so it’s like sitting in a chair.
Thanks to Kazui’s thorough forethought and explanations, after the show we went to the 4th and 5th floor, and had an afternoon snack at the tea shop (the yuzu matcha smoothie was really good!). We also bought tea gifts to take back to our friends in LA at the tea shop.
I am so glad I found Kazui's Private Kabuki Tour. We had a wonderful experience. I don’t even think I could have figured out how to get Kabuki tickets from Los Angeles without her.
As well as the Kabuki tickets, I opted for the explanation of Kabuki and the scheduled performance over tea with Kazui. We met Kazui an hour and a half prior to the show and walked to a very cool well-established tea shop that was founded in 1854. The tea shop itself was a gem of an experience. Kazui’s presentation was thorough and engaging. I learned so much. If you are new to Kabuki/interested in learning more about Kabuki, I highly recommend adding this option!
We purchased box seats and added the lunches that were discreetly delivered behind the curtain of our box during the performance. The lunch was hugh-end, delicious, exquisitely served in two-tiered lacquer boxes. Along with others in the theater, we ate our lunches during the 30 min intermission. It was fun. Another thing we were pleased with that was huge for us senior citizens was even though the box seats are tatami and you have to remove your shoes, when you sit, there is a space for your legs, so it’s like sitting in a chair.
Thanks to Kazui’s thorough forethought and explanations, after the show we went to the 4th and 5th floor, and had an afternoon snack at the tea shop (the yuzu matcha smoothie was really good!). We also bought tea gifts to take back to our friends in LA at the tea shop.
I am so glad I found Kazui's Private Kabuki Tour. We had a wonderful experience. I don’t even think I could have figured out how to get Kabuki tickets from Los Angeles without her.
Written 25 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
zoe g
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Friends
Kazui-san's tour was recommended by a friend, and it was a wonderful experience. Everything was taken care of (buying tickets, directions), she explained lots of interesting information about the theatre, its origins, the actors, etc. I am a big fan of Japanese traditional culture and Kabuki, and I was very happy to learn more. Kazui-san also gave my friend and I summaries of the plays ahead of time, so we could follow the story. The lecture took place in a very beautiful tea house, with traditional matcha tea and wagashi sweets (included in the tour). I wouldn't have gone to the theater on my own because I don't speak Japanese and I would have been lost; thanks to Kazui-san awesome tour I was able to enjoy this piece of Japanese culture.
I highly recommend this tour!
I highly recommend this tour!
Written 23 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Neal A
Berkeley, CA1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Couples
Kazui gave my husband & I a thorough and enjoyable tour! She is so knowledgeable and made the experience
Easy to understand ! I highly recommend Kazue’s tour before you see a Kabuki play, so that you will get a fuller experience!
Easy to understand ! I highly recommend Kazue’s tour before you see a Kabuki play, so that you will get a fuller experience!
Written 10 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nick T
1 contribution
Jul 2023 • Couples
We would highly recommend this tour if you want to get the most out of your experience with Kabuki theatre.
Kazui explained her personal experience with Kabuki, as well as the history and cultural context that makes it so special. One detail that stood out was that Kabuki actors are often a part of family lineages who have performed for many decades.
The performances are long, and its customary to buy a bento box to eat during intermission. Kazui made sure to show us where to buy our meals, and also showed us other points of interest around the theatre, such as the souvenir shop and the rooftop garden.
Kazui also purchased our tickets for us and recommended seats with good views at different price points.
Finally, she gave us summaries of each story, written in English, so that we would be able to follow along with the performance.
I can't stress enough how much more we got from our Kabuki experience thanks to Kazui's generous guidance. This is a must if you are visiting Tokyo and want to see Kabuki.
Kazui explained her personal experience with Kabuki, as well as the history and cultural context that makes it so special. One detail that stood out was that Kabuki actors are often a part of family lineages who have performed for many decades.
The performances are long, and its customary to buy a bento box to eat during intermission. Kazui made sure to show us where to buy our meals, and also showed us other points of interest around the theatre, such as the souvenir shop and the rooftop garden.
Kazui also purchased our tickets for us and recommended seats with good views at different price points.
Finally, she gave us summaries of each story, written in English, so that we would be able to follow along with the performance.
I can't stress enough how much more we got from our Kabuki experience thanks to Kazui's generous guidance. This is a must if you are visiting Tokyo and want to see Kabuki.
Written 6 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patrick
Chicago, IL6 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
Ms. Kazui is currently the #1 rated guide in Ginza here in Trip Advisor and her Kabuki tour does not disappoint! I went on her tour in May 2023 right as foreign tourism began to boom but even on a Sunday evening, I was the only participant on this guide. So Ms. Kazui gave me a private individualized guide!
Ms. Kazui is extremely professional. She held a sign with her tour name easily identifiable outside the theater at the meeting time and wore her photographed tour license as a lanyard. She provided a lengthy explanation of the story written in English, printed out on paper so I could follow along during the show (her written summary is longer and superior to the one provided by the venue), and added timing markers so I'd know what was happening in the story at different minute markers within the performance. She also explained the significance of different theatrical elements such as specific rhythms, poses, stage events, and more. Even more she provided pictures and explanations of key actors (both their personal headshot and their costume appearance) so I could identify the performers.
I actually contacted Ms. Kazui on her site outside Trip Advisor for a special Box seat and intermission bento meal delivery, special for box seats. Her site has much more information about her many personalized tours.
This was a really authentic experience for Japanese and I saw almost no other westerners. But Ms. Kazui really helped open the doors to Kabuki. The intro tour is about one hour and the show (which changes every month) had three acts lasting a few hours more.
I got a very nice experience and authentic introduction to the world of Kabuki and the history of the venue Kabuki-za. I did the tour towards the end of my trip and I can easily say this was the highlight of my trip. The art and beauty, both of the sights and sounds of traditional Japanese theater, is a must experience in your lifetime!
Ms. Kazui is extremely professional. She held a sign with her tour name easily identifiable outside the theater at the meeting time and wore her photographed tour license as a lanyard. She provided a lengthy explanation of the story written in English, printed out on paper so I could follow along during the show (her written summary is longer and superior to the one provided by the venue), and added timing markers so I'd know what was happening in the story at different minute markers within the performance. She also explained the significance of different theatrical elements such as specific rhythms, poses, stage events, and more. Even more she provided pictures and explanations of key actors (both their personal headshot and their costume appearance) so I could identify the performers.
I actually contacted Ms. Kazui on her site outside Trip Advisor for a special Box seat and intermission bento meal delivery, special for box seats. Her site has much more information about her many personalized tours.
This was a really authentic experience for Japanese and I saw almost no other westerners. But Ms. Kazui really helped open the doors to Kabuki. The intro tour is about one hour and the show (which changes every month) had three acts lasting a few hours more.
I got a very nice experience and authentic introduction to the world of Kabuki and the history of the venue Kabuki-za. I did the tour towards the end of my trip and I can easily say this was the highlight of my trip. The art and beauty, both of the sights and sounds of traditional Japanese theater, is a must experience in your lifetime!
Written 17 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Redwords
San Diego, California31 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
When we first saw Kabuki theater in Tokyo almost twenty years ago, we fell in love with the beauty and spectacle of this wonderful art form. We did not have much of an understanding of what was going on, but we knew it was fantastic.
The next time we visited Japan we learned about the wonderful concierge and guide service that Kazui Yabi offers and gave it a try. That experience was so enlightening. It increased our knowledge and appreciation of Kabuki many times over.
We just returned from another Japan trip and our third time on Kazui's Private Tour. We have learned new things each time and the experience is made so much easier and educational with each visit.
Kazui is very flexible in helping you schedule the performance you will see and always has obtained the best seats, exactly where we want to be (third or fourth row back next to the hanamichi ramp that runs through the audience. This is where many of the actors make their entrances). We could actually hear the swishing of the actors' robes across the stage and see every detail of the incredible makeup! Kazui pays so much attention to every detail. In the literature she provides in advance she even includes the phrase to give the taxi driver when you head out for your evening of theater!
In addition to the plot summaries, the discussion of Kabuki history and the dynasties of artists that perform generation after generation, Kazui includes a lovely tea before the show, a very welcome respite on the stormy day we attended Kabuki.
We saved Kabuki for the end of our three week trip and are still glowing from the wonder that is Kabuki and the great interaction with Kazui that so exemplifies the kindness and attention to every detail that one finds in Japan.
The next time we visited Japan we learned about the wonderful concierge and guide service that Kazui Yabi offers and gave it a try. That experience was so enlightening. It increased our knowledge and appreciation of Kabuki many times over.
We just returned from another Japan trip and our third time on Kazui's Private Tour. We have learned new things each time and the experience is made so much easier and educational with each visit.
Kazui is very flexible in helping you schedule the performance you will see and always has obtained the best seats, exactly where we want to be (third or fourth row back next to the hanamichi ramp that runs through the audience. This is where many of the actors make their entrances). We could actually hear the swishing of the actors' robes across the stage and see every detail of the incredible makeup! Kazui pays so much attention to every detail. In the literature she provides in advance she even includes the phrase to give the taxi driver when you head out for your evening of theater!
In addition to the plot summaries, the discussion of Kabuki history and the dynasties of artists that perform generation after generation, Kazui includes a lovely tea before the show, a very welcome respite on the stormy day we attended Kabuki.
We saved Kabuki for the end of our three week trip and are still glowing from the wonder that is Kabuki and the great interaction with Kazui that so exemplifies the kindness and attention to every detail that one finds in Japan.
Written 2 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Destination540069
Owings Mills, MD
You come highly recommendedWe are coming in on a cruise ship on March 18 at 2 PM and leaving March 19 at 7 PM. Within that timeframe can you arrange for kabuki theater they will be between four and 12 of us thank you. Mike klein
Tour574764
1 contribution
Hi! I will be in Tokyo in august and I will like to participate to a kabuki tour! Is it possible to have thé tour + one act show? Which show will be on , on august 2018?
Thank you
Valeria
KAZUITOKYOKABUKI
Tokyo
Hi Valeria, thank you for your question. One act show tour is available. I would like to inform you about the details by emadil if possible. Could you send me an email? You will see my email address on my TripAdvisor page.Thank you.
Hi, I'm in Tokyo right now and someone recommended you. Would I be able to see Kabuki this weekend?
KAZUITOKYOKABUKI
Tokyo
Hi samace0. I am Kazui Yabe from TOKYOKABUKIGUIDE. Yes, you will be able to see Kabuki this weekend at the Kabuki-za theatre. If you need more information, would you contact me using the contact form on my website? Please visit my website. Thank you!
eksummer
New York City, NY3 contributions
Hello
I will be in Tokyo on June 29 2017.
I would like to see a kabuki
Show on June 30.
I am staying at the lotte city hotel.
What do tours include? How much are they ? Does the tour pick you up and drop
off at the hotel?
Thanks so much.
KAZUITOKYOKABUKI
Tokyo
Hi ESSUMMER. Thank you for visitng my page. I think the possibility of Kabuki performance on June 30 is very low unfortunately becuase we have 25 days long performance from the 1st, 2nd or 3rd every month. I wouldl ike to email you the details if you like. Please visit my website and contact me using the contact form. Thank you.
lew48
Fort Worth, TX9 contributions
Would like to know if we can set this up for a private tour on October 16. We will only be in Tokyo that day. We are coming in on a cruise and have a hotel booked by the airport for a flight out the next day.
KAZUITOKYOKABUKI
Tokyo
Hi, I am Kazui, a Kabuki guide. Thank you for visiting my tour page and your message. I would like to discuss with you about the tour. Could you email me directly? Please click "E-mail" appeared under the map on the top page of my tour page. Sorry, answer including email address is not allowed by tripadvisor. Thank you.
SaiKungSilver
Sai Kung N.T., HONG KONG38 contributions
Where do I book the tour????
KAZUITOKYOKABUKI
Tokyo
Thank you for your question. Please google "tokyo kabuki guide" and use the contact form on my website. Sorry for this inconvenience. I will create booking button of Tripadvisor soon. Thank you.