Yanagiya Kyotaro and other promising young performers

Yokosuka Arts Theatre opened in February 1994 on the site of the former EM Club (US Navy Enlisted Club), the birthplace of postwar jazz in Japan, as a place that connects people and culture to enrich the lives of Yokosuka residents. The EM Club is the birthplace of postwar jazz in Japan, and world-famous entertainers such as Louis Armstrong frequently came to perform there immediately after the war. Furthermore, musicians who would later become representative of Japan, such as George Kawaguchi and Nobuo Hara, gave passionate performances, spreading the authentic flavor of American music throughout the country.

It consists of two theaters with different faces: the Large Theater (Yokosuka Arts Theater) and the Small Theater (Yokosuka Bayside Pocket). Since its opening, it has hosted numerous performances of leading operas, ballets, and classical music from Japan and abroad, and has become a hub for arts, culture, and excitement as a symbol of the vibrant city of Yokosuka.