It was during the late Taisho period that the Yorii theater was built in the then burgeoning hamlet of Yorii. After opening its doors, it served as a center of popular culture for the thriving forestry village of Jinryo, playing host to various kinds of shows, plays and films. With public entertainment few and far between in those days, the Yorii theater must have been a “shining jewel” in the cultural landscape of the community. However, its glorious days didn’t last long. As the local logging industry declined, the theater came to lose grandeur, until it was closed in 1960 and was subdivided to form a sewing factory. In the last decade, the former local landmark has remained closed to the public and has been virtually forgotten.

Now, the Yorii theater is coming back to life by the hands of non-profitable organization, the “Green Valley Inc.” A series of projects have been underway since last spring (2007) to restore the theater to its former glory. The work place for the sewing factory has been removed and the damaged foundations reinforced. “Whatever will be, will be (Que Sera, Sera)” is the way the Green Valley works; why don’t we start with what can be done, rather than racking our brains about detailed plans? The old theater could be reborn as a new theater, a museum, an artist’s studio, an exhibition space, or a cafe…