Menicon Theater Aoi

A theater where you can experience the wonderfulness of “Miru (seeing)”

The Menicon Theater Aoi opened in April 2023. The desire to open this theater came from Mr. Hidenari Tanaka. Mr. Tanaka is the Chairman and CEO of the contact lens manufacturer Menicon Co., Ltd. He “wants many people to share the wonderfulness of ‘seeing’ with all their five senses including vision.” The Menicon Art and Culture Memorial Foundation was established by his company, which has supported the promotion of culture and education over many years, in 2021. This foundation became a public interest incorporated foundation in April 2023 to coincide with the opening of the Menicon Theater Aoi. Mr. Tanaka also serves as the Representative Director of the foundation. The foundation is using the hall to contribute to the promotion of culture and the arts.

The theater was designed mainly for theatrical play performances. Nevertheless, it has the equipment to enable authentic music performances. This equipment includes a system for controlling reverberations and acoustics as well as a grand piano. The 301-capacity audience seating arranged in a steeply sloped stepped pattern brings the audience closer to the stage to provide a powerful viewing experience. The difference in height between each step has been set high at 242 to 272 millimeters. Combined with the staggered arrangement of the central block, it is possible for audience members to immerse themselves in performances without the heads of those in front of them obstructing their field of vision when sitting down.

Duck Tail Seats produce a comfortable seating experience

The seats, which were chosen after those involved shared their opinions in Kotobuki Seating’s showroom, are brimming with thoughtful consideration so the audience can spend their time in them comfortably.

The greatest focus is the shape of the seats which support most of the user’s body weight. Duck Tail Seats were adopted. The rear of these seats rises up gradually like the tail of a duck. This firmly supports the lower back of the user. In addition, it distributes the body pressure by increasing the area in which the body of the user is in contact with the seat. That reduces fatigue from sitting for a long time. The seats also incorporate Spacia. Spacia becomes thinner at the ends so that the legs of the user can be brought deeply under the seat when sitting down. Widening the range of mobility of the legs increases the freedom of movement in posture when watching events. It is possible to stand up with your feet still pulled back without placing your hands on the armrest or elsewhere. This allows for easy movement with minimal shifting of body weight. Combined with the three-dimensionally shaped backrest stuffed with plenty of urethane, this produces a comfortable seating experience. 

The backrests of the seats facing the aisles are equipped with handles to assist audience members moving up and down them. The design using the wood of the backrests enhances functionality while naturally blending in without spoiling the image of the audience seating.

The gorgeous red upholstery worthy of a theater envelops the cushions. This highlights the audience seating. The unusual decorations accented by beaded edges in the same color as the wood gives a special and fine-quality impression.

Scope of events expanded by the seating design

In addition to various public performances such as theatrical plays, it is anticipated that the hall will host events such as ceremonies and presentations for those within Menicon. Accordingly, the seating has been designed to accommodate such a diverse range of events.

The setting of the seat width per person is one example of the way in which the seating has been designed to accommodate different events. Among the seats with a width of 500 millimeters, 51 of the seats in the center of the audience seating from where it is most easy to see the stage have been set to 550 millimeters. It is possible to use them as seats for special and invited guests to suit the setting.

The seats in the first six rows of the customer seating comprised of a total of 18 rows are removable seats. It is possible to easily change their location by using the caster wheels equipped at the base of their feet. Moving the seats and then further lowering the elevator floor in that area, quickly turns it from being audience seating into an orchestra pit. This widens the scope of events possible. 

Two wheelchair spaces have been secured at the rear on the stage left side of the side aisle in the center of the audience seating. The seats lined up in the same row on either side of the vertical aisle are removable seats. That makes it possible to remove the seats to expand the space. 

Some of the seats at the rear are reclining seats. They recline toward the seat as though the backrest is bowing. It is possible to place a console here depending on the event.

Facility Overview

The Menicon Theater Aoi Building is a complex facility home to the office space for those working at Menicon, a café and the Menicon Theater Aoi comprehensive arts theater. It opened in April 2023 as a place to contribute to the cultivation of the local community and the development of culture. The main theater of the facility plays host to high-quality artistic works as a hub to create and share culture. In addition to creating opportunities for personnel involved in the creation and production of stage performances, it is aiming to be a place where local residents can encounter a variety of other people’s expressions and where they can also express themselves.

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