Visited Tuesday, May 14, 2024

Pretty cool experience! I try to see local shows whenever possible, and this is one of the more productionized shows I have seen.

We purchased our tickets from a machine inside the lobby (with the help of a staff member). There is an English option, as well as other languages. We chose the ticket that included the museum, the show, and the ropeway.

We decided to walk around the museum first to learn a little about the area and the dance. There are some fun musical interactions as well as many historical facts and images to view. There are many things in English, but it was not hard to translate those that were not.

The show was next. I would give 5 stars if not for the way the crowd is managed at the show. The performers were great, and so were all the staff in the building. However, about 15 minutes into the show, the staff allowed a large group of elderly people to enter and disrupt the performance and many of the guests who were already seated and enjoying the show. We were personally stepped on, and then the man who sat in front of us kept standing up throughout the rest of the performance to take photos on his camera. Us being foreigners, we did not feel it proper to say anything to the elderly Japanese gentleman, but a kind Japanese lady behind us saw what was going on and politely asked the elderly man to stop standing up. None of the staff made a move to help, and unfortunately, we were not the only ones having such a problem in the audience. The late arrivals were talking loudly to each other and standing up to see better, unapologetically disrupting the entire room of people. Not only did the audience appear uncomfortable, but even the performers seemed irritated at the frequent interruptions and talking, yet none of the staff did anything to intervene.

The ironic thing is, there were two large school groups present with elementary aged children. Before the show, it seemed evident that other guests tried to sit farther away from the students, presumable because of the fear they might be disruptive. They ended up being the most respectful guests in the room!

At the end, the performers invite guests down to join the dance, and that was a very enjoyable part of the experience. Their passion and skill are evident in the way they conduct themselves, and I appreciated their professionalism.

The ropeway is an easy way to get to the top of the mountain behind the venue. It boasts spectacular views of the city and water, and hosts an interesting temple at the very top. You can also hear many lovely birds. There are restrooms, but the cafe was not open when we visited.

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience. We learned a lot about the area and the culture, and I would recommend it to anyone visiting the area from out of town. Hopefully there will be better crowd control for the dance show in the future... I would expect guests to arrive on time for a scheduled show, and if they are late, they should be asked to wait for the next show to begin rather than interrupt the one in progress.