The Konpira Grand Theatre (金毘羅大芝居 Konpira Ōshibai), also known as Kanamaru-za (金丸座) is a restored Kabuki theatre in Kotohira, Kagawa, on the island of Shikoku, Japan.
It was originally constructed in 1835[3][4], and is the oldest kabuki theatre in Japan[5].
Kabuki plays are performed for one month each year[5], usually in April[6].
There are three entrances into the building. The ones on the left and
right are of normal size, but the central entrance, called the "mouse
door" (ねずみ木戸 nezumi kido),
is quite small and requires one to crouch in order to enter. This was
an effective form of crowd control in the Edo period, and, along with
armed guards, helped prevent anyone from entering without a ticket[13]. While the average commoner playgoer had to use this small nezumi kido, those associated with the Kanemitsu-in used the goyō kido on the right. The large ōkido on the left was used by members of the samurai class, and others of importance[14].
The theatre was originally built in 1835 and 1836[2], and takes its name from the nearby Kompira Shrine which is in turn named after the Hindu/Buddhist deity Kumbhira to which the shrine is dedicated[7].
The theatre was originally controlled by the Kanemitsu-in, a local Buddhist temple.
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