The hanamichi is a long, raised stage that runs through the audience from the back of the theater to the stage in Japanese theater. Located to the left of center, it is used for character’s entrances and exits. Dramatic moments, such as exiting actors’ final words, or entering actors’ initial addresses to the audience occur on the Hanamichi, 7/10 of the way to the stage, at a spot known as the shichisan. The Hanamichi makes the theatrical experience much more intimate than other traditional forms of theater because it puts the actors and some of the action in the midst of the audience.
Sources Cited:
Wikipedia
Britannica
