[1][2] The Minami-za is one of the earliest of the seven officially-licensed kabuki theatres built in the early Edo period (1615–1623) in the Shijo Kawara area in Kyoto; the theatre pre-dates those of Tokyo and Osaka.

[3] The current Minami-za theatre was built in 1929 in the architectural style of the Momoyama period, with a gabled roof and a traditional turret marking the official approval of the government.

In 1991, after the end of the Shōwa period, the interior was drastically refurbished and modern stage mechanism was installed.

[3] In 1996, the Minami-za was registered as a Japanese Tangible Cultural Property in respects to its historical architectural value in connection to the city of Kyoto.

[3] The Minami-za features a number of stagecraft mechanisms unique to kabuki, such as the hanamichi (runway) and the seri (trap-door mechanism at the end of the hanamichi).