Taking kabuki on tour overseas again will take some time, but a new service is streaming the performances to personal computers in select areas abroad.
Kabuki production company Shochiku Co. has launched Kabuki On Demand for overseas audiences. Previously, the company streamed kabuki performances for overseas viewers for a limited time, but this is the first time it is doing so on a continuous basis.
The streaming service began in 2020 for the domestic market, with overseas streaming beginning on Nov. 1, 2022, for nine places: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Fees currently range from 800 yen to around 1,000 yen per performance and the service is only available for PCs.
