Visitor Guide
Session House is a small, independent venue rather than a large public theater, and much of our day-to-day information is published in Japanese. This page gathers the practical things an English-speaking visitor is most likely to need. If anything here is unclear, please just write to us - we answer enquiries in English.
The two spaces
| B1F Studio | 131 m², high ceiling, sprung floor with linoleum surface. A dance studio on weekdays; on weekends and holidays it becomes an intimate theater seating around 100. |
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| 2F Gallery "Garden" | 100 m² multipurpose space seating around 50, open since 1995. Exhibitions, theater, dance, concerts, talks, workshops and screenings. |
Booking a ticket
Tickets for most performances are booked directly with Session House through our reservation form. The form itself is in Japanese, so if it gives you trouble, simply send us an email instead and include:
● Your name
● The performance title
● The date and time of the performance
● The number of tickets
● Your email address
Email: mail@session-house.net
Tel: +81-(0)3-3266-0461 (office hours 11:00-19:00)
A few productions are booked with the visiting company rather than with us - the performance page says so where that is the case, and gives the right link.
Paying
Tickets booked through our form are normally settled when you arrive at the venue. If you would prefer to pay in advance by credit card, please ask us by email - and for the 35th Anniversary Festival in September 2026, advance card payment is available through teket (Japanese-language site).
On the day
| Seating | All seats are unreserved at almost every performance. Arriving a little early gives you more choice. |
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| Doors | Normally 30 minutes before curtain, though a few productions differ - check the listing for the performance you are attending. |
| Running time | Typically 60 to 90 minutes, usually without an interval. |
| Language | Dance and physical theater programmes need no Japanese at all. Talk events, post-show talks and the Dance Talk are in Japanese only; where a programme depends on spoken Japanese we say so in the listing. |
| Children | Policies are set by each company. Several productions welcome children, sometimes free of charge for younger ones - the listing gives the details. |
Getting here
Kagurazaka Session House
158 Yarai-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-0805, Japan
By train
The nearest station is Kagurazaka Station on the Tokyo Metro Tozai Line. Use Exit 1b. From the exit, walk toward Waseda along the street one block north of Waseda-dori. Session House is a concrete building about a minute and a half from the station.
By car
We have limited parking for about two or three vehicles, and on performance and exhibition days priority goes to loading and unloading. Please use one of the nearby coin-operated car parks. Note that the traffic direction on Waseda-dori changes with the time of day: toward Iidabashi from midnight to noon, toward Waseda from noon to midnight.
The neighbourhood is worth arriving early for. Akagi Shrine is a short walk away, and Kagurazaka is full of small restaurants and back streets.
Taking a class while you are in Tokyo
Since January 2026 our dance classes are fully open - no membership is required, and visitors are welcome to drop in for a single class. Classes run Monday to Thursday and include contemporary dance, ballet, Nihon Buyo (traditional Japanese dance) and somatic movement research, taught by dancers and choreographers working in Japan and internationally.
A single class is ¥2,500 including tax. Advance reservation is required; write to mail@session-house.net or call us, and tell us which class you would like to join.
Hiring the space
Both the B1F Studio and the 2F Gallery can be hired, and bookings are accepted up to 18 months ahead. Rates, technical specifications and equipment are listed on the space rental and equipment pages.
Questions
If you need anything at all - help with a booking, access advice, or information about a programme that is only described in Japanese - please contact us. Enquiries in English are welcome.
Email: mail@session-house.net
Tel: +81-(0)3-3266-0461
Fax: +81-(0)3-3266-0772
Office hours: 11:00-19:00
