劇団四季の劇場移転で変わる熱田　「新しいにぎわい」創出に寄せられる期待 (26/07/06 18:05)

A new theater by the Shiki Theatre Company has opened in Atsuta Ward, Nagoya City. Expectations are high for the "new vibrancy" that will develop in the surrounding area. The Shiki Theatre Company's musical "The Phantom of the Opera" had a spectacular opening! This was the inaugural performance at the new theater, which moved from Nakamura Ward to Atsuta Ward. The "MTG Nagoya Shiki Theatre" opened just a 4-minute walk from Meitetsu's Jingumae Station. Approximately 1200 fans attended the inaugural performance on the 5th. A long-established Japanese confectionery shop has also developed a new menu item: "We want customers to come from all over the country." With the opening of the new theater, the town is also undergoing "change"... First, we visited "Kiyome Mochi Sohonten," a long-loved shop located in front of the gates of Atsuta Shrine. Q: What was the atmosphere like at the grand opening on the 5th? "There were so many people between 2 and 3 p.m. (after the performance), and we are very grateful," (Tokuo Goto, Kiyome Mochi Sohonten) We are also developing new menu items to encourage people to stop by before or after attending a performance. There are two new menu items. Opening the box with the same excitement as the start of a play… One is a Japanese-style dish with red bean rice. The other is a sweet dish with lemon bean paste and mochi, perfect for this season. It can be enjoyed with "Kiyome Bread" which does not contain bean paste. "We hope that customers will come from all over the country and that this will contribute to the development of the region," (Goto) It is scheduled to be added to the menu from the 17th. Discounts and other services are available if you show your theater ticket. At "Atsuta nagAya," a commercial facility right next to Jingumae Station, there are also "mechanisms" aimed at attracting customers in conjunction with the opening of the Shiki Theatre Company.　"We're working with tenants to offer services at shops if you bring your theater ticket for the day," (Tatsuji Kondo, Meitetsu Property Management) 　For example... at a shop that offers a wide variety of kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers), including those with Hatcho miso, showing your theater ticket for the day will get you a 10% discount on your bill! 　Also, at a shop that serves beef tongue with Hatcho miso sauce, you'll receive a beef tongue and Hatcho miso pound cake as a gift. 　"The idea is that if people enjoy themselves while they're there, it will liven up the whole of Atsuta," (Kondo) "MTG PARK" is scheduled to open next spring 　Furthermore, there's a big project in the town... 　"It will become the headquarters building and commercial facility of MTG, famous for its hair dryers and Sixpad," (Professor Akio Mizuno, Nagoya Gakuin University) 　Next spring, MTG, which develops beauty equipment such as "ReFa," is scheduled to open its new headquarters, "MTG PARK," which will include a commercial facility. The complex will house brand experience facilities, restaurants, and other businesses. Professor Mizuno of Nagoya Gakuin University, who has been involved in urban development in Atsuta for many years, has high hopes for synergistic effects. "Atsuta Shrine receives 7 million visitors annually. Shiki Theatre Company attracts 300,000 visitors annually, and MTG expects 100,000. A tremendous number of people are expected to come to Atsuta," (Professor Mizuno). On the other hand, there has been a challenge in not being able to adequately engage visitors in the town itself… "There are also redevelopment efforts underway in the Jingumae shopping district on the other side of the railway tracks. The local community and Nagoya City are working together," "If we can create a town where people stay longer and feel glad they came to Atsuta," (Professor Mizuno).