The Site of Teikokuza Theater

At the beginning of the Meiji period (1868 to 1912), Otojiro Kawakami was a rising star of the theatrical world. He became famous for his political speech “Song of Oppekepe,” and, in 1910, built the Teikokuza Theater. Though this theater was the first purely Western style theater of its kind in Osaka, it fell into financial difficulties several years later and eventually had to close. Now, all that remains of the theater is a stone monument at its site.