Takarazuka宝塚

This home of all-female musical theater is "watched" over by Aragami-san, the God of Fire and Kitchen, which is a well-known Japanese legend.

Takarazuka City is located in the south-eastern part of Hyogo and developed along the Muko-gawa River coming from Rokko Mountains. It is famous for Kiyoshi-kojin Seicho-ji Temple, popularly known as Aragami-san, the God of Fire and Kitchen, and the Takarazuka Musical Theater.

Kiyoshi-kojin Seicho-ji Temple was erected by Emperor Uda's imperial order in the 9th century for the purpose of protecting people from a fire. At the monthly fair on the 27th and the 28th of the month, and during the first three days of the New Year, it is very crowded with stalls and people. Not only tea houses and souvenir shops, but stalls selling good luck items and tsukudani, a preserved food, fortune tellers and a painter who paints a snake with a single stroke of the sumi (India ink) brush to entertain people.

Takarazuka is the home of the Takarazuka Musical Theater, composed only of women. It originates in the Girls' Musical Theater established for the promotion of the hot springs in 1913. Since that time, the company with its splendid costumes, magnificent songs and dances, as well as plays, has been very popular and the theater has produced countless stars. There are the big theater, the school of music, the Takarazuka-kageki Kinen-kan Hall, the Takarazuka Family Park Amusement Park and the zoo.

The Takarazuka-onsen Hot Spring with traditional Japanese inns are also popular.