Main Hall,
Ueda Performing Arts & Cultural Center 'Santomyuze'

The Ueda Performing Arts & Cultural Center in Ueda City, Nagano Prefecture, opened on October 2, 2014. 'Ueda Performing Arts & Cultural Center' and 'Ueda City Museum of Art' opened on the same day and sharing the same premises are collectively known as 'Santomyuze'. This awesome nickname was chosen from among the 1,649 suggestions by the general public. The name 'Santomyuze' is derived from the two words; 'Santo' taken from 'Santo Ueda' literally means 'Silkworm Capital Ueda' while 'Muse' means the goddess of art. It also takes its inspiration from the Japanese word 'san', which means 'three', referring to the three concepts of the facility - 'people, town, and culture'; as well as the 'sun' (a pun in Japanese language : 'san' -  means three and the Sun itself). It's also linked to the museum and music, which add life to the space, and it exudes a buoyant air that symbolizes the Ueda city's rich history and culture.

The proscenium-style main hall has a 1st-floor and two-tiered balcony seating with a total capacity of 1,650. The stage is only 31 meters away from the last row of third floor seats. Due to the intimate proximity of the audience to the performers, the hall fosters a sense of togetherness. The hall can meet the diverse community needs, from full-scale performing arts events like concerts, operas, and ballets, to lectures and joint concerts of elementary, junior high, and high schools.

The hall's interior is richly decorated with wood, and the walls are adorned with an outstanding design of seemingly countless lines. Also, the seats' striped upholstery matched the hall's decor. The backrest's bright wood color creates a glamorous and serene atmosphere in a space that is prone to sinking due to a large number of seats. Likewise, the armrests' unique cut-outs are eye-catching.