Namba Grand Kagetsu

The Namba Grand Kagetsu

The Osaka audio-guided tour presents you with the Namba Grand Kagetsu, often called NGK, the largest and most famous comedy theatre in Japan, an emblematic place of the popular culture of Osaka.

The temple of Osaka laughter

Opened in 1987, the NGK is managed by Yoshimoto Kōgyō, a great comedy production house founded in 1912, which has shaped modern Japanese humour for more than a century. One comes there to experience the comic energy proper to Osaka, a city renowned throughout the country for its direct and warm sense of humour. The hall has nearly nine hundred seats and offers every day shows mixing various styles, including rakugo, the art of humorous storytelling where a single artist brings a whole story to life, and the Yoshimoto New Comedy, a comedy of sketches with recurring characters.

What there is to see

Even if the shows are mainly in Japanese, many visitors appreciate the experience for its communicative energy, its physical expressions and the reactions of the audience, which are an integral part of the show. The building also houses an official shop of souvenirs linked to the comedians, as well as restaurants and cafés. It is a unique immersion into Osaka humour and conviviality.

Practical information

The Namba Grand Kagetsu is in the Namba district, in Osaka. It offers shows all year round, according to its own programme and hours. Its façade and its shop can be discovered from the street; it is advisable to consult the programme in advance.

What is the Namba Grand Kagetsu?

The largest comedy theatre in Japan, opened in 1987 and managed by Yoshimoto Kōgyō, an emblem of the popular humour of Osaka.

What is rakugo?

An art of traditional humorous storytelling where a single artist, seated on stage, brings a whole story to life on his own.