Double-bill cinemas: The cheapest shows in town
Moviegoing in Japan doesn't have to break the bank -- there's still room for popcorn.When faced with the local mega-chain cinema and its roll call of Hollywood dross it might be hard to believe but, in many respects, Tokyo is actually a moviegoer’s paradise.
There are more than 60 theaters in central Tokyo alone, almost half of them concentrated in Shibuya and the Ginza-Yurakucho area.
Numbers alone mean little, of course, so it’s fortunate that movie buffs can easily find something they like, whatever they like.
From Hollywood blockbusters to unknown indie art films, from anime to documentaries, almost every week there is, to use a tired-but-true cliché, something for everyone.
There is a big problem, though -- at ¥1,800 a pop (or ¥1,500 for an advance ticket from a convenience store), catching a flick in Tokyo is darned expensive. Which is where we come in.
As you’ll discover, there’s a simple way to get around the obstacle of high ticket prices by checking out these Tokyo cinemas that specialize in the magic of the rerun.
Not only these places are much cheaper (¥700-¥1,300 for a double bill), most of them have a loyalty-card system or give you a discount voucher you can use the next time you pay them a visit.
Last, but absolutely not least, each one of our favorite theaters has a distinct atmosphere and attracts a completely different set of people, making them ideal places to do some “anthropological research.”
Bunka Gekijo and Roman Gekijo
The bowels of the JR Yamanote train line are not only home to yakitori stalls and endless bars and restaurants. Two of the more charismatic Tokyo theaters share the same box office under the Shinbashi Station tracks.
If you still wonder where the Japanese economy is heading, you only have to take the door on the left and step inside the Bunka Gekijo to discover scores of worn-out middle-aged salarymen snoring through a couple of action movies (the specialty of the house) on any given afternoon.
The enjoyment of these contemporary grindhouse flicks is regularly disrupted by the noise of the trains running upstairs and the people going to the restrooms (strategically placed on both side of the screen).
No one seems to notice much of that and, anyway, ¥700 is the cheapest you’ll pay in Tokyo for a double bill. Or anywhere else, for that matter.
If you dig mildly naughty pleasures, take the door on the right of the box office for the Roman Gekijo. For ¥1,000 you can while away half a day with a couple of classics from the vast Roman Porno tradition of Japanese softcore flicks.
Bunka Gekijo and Roman Gekijo, 3-25-19 Shinbashi, Minato-ku, +81 (0) 3 3431 4920. http://shinbashibunka.com/
Ginrei Hall
At the other end of the cinematic spectrum, Ginrei Hall appeals to the more refined tastes of 40- and 50-something women who like to dine in the nearby restaurant-lined Kagurazaka.
Its eclectic menu of tasteful dramas, love stories and assorted tearjerkers guarantees that on any given day 90 percent of the audience is comprised of women -- plus a few elderly gentlemen.
If you really want to get good value for money, the theater offers an optional membership card system: For only ¥10,500 you can watch as many films as you want for an entire year without having to pay anything more.
Not to be missed is the underground restroom -- a classic layout with swinging doors and tiled walls straight outta 1974.
Ginrei Hall, 2-19 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, +81 (0) 3 3269 3852.
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