The Takarazuka Revue was founded by Ichizō Kobayashi in 1913 as an all-female troupe staging taishū engeki, a term for "popular" theater aimed at "ordinary people".
[3] The theater featured modern amenities such as a revolving stage, hydraulic trap lifts, and lighting and sound systems, as well as restaurants, cafes, and souvenir stores.
[6] In 1944, the Grand Theater was forced to close amid the Second World War as a result of a government order that shuttered most leisure institutions.
[12] By the 1980s the theater generally resembled its current incarnation, in terms of both its facilities and its European-style interior design defined by marble floors, red carpets, and crystal chandeliers.
[5] The Grand Theater closed in April 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and re-opened in July of that year, at half capacity and with recorded music instead of a live orchestra.
[15] Twenty-three additional seats were added in 2005 following renovations to provide better stage visibility for the second level, bringing the total capacity of the theater to 2,550.
[2] The second floor of the theater houses the Salon de Takarazuka, an exhibition space on the history of the Revue showcasing costumes, stage drawings, videos, and music.
[16] Located within the theater are five restaurants, which orient their menus to specific repertoires and include the favorite foods of Takarazuka performers.