Seven compilations of acting reviews for kabuki shows performed in Nagoya during the Edo Period have been found in the storeroom of Misono-za, an old theater in the city that is under renovation.
These review books were published frequently for kabuki fans in Edo (the old name for Tokyo) and Osaka because those cities had booming entertainment industries. But it is rare to find them in other cities, and only four had been found so far in Nagoya.
Experts believe the recent discovery is proof that Nagoya used to be a place for the arts.
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