The neighborhood surrounding Yurakucho Station isn't exactly starved for things to do. The Ginza is an area of intense competition for Tokyoites' leisure time, hosting countless bars, eateries and shops, as well as theaters dedicated to traditional kabuki and the famed all-female Takarazuka Revue.

Still, Kazutoshi Tanuma saw an opportunity there. On July 7 he will open his Alternative Theatre, a "new cultural landmark" that seats 410 and has room for 52 standing. It's decked out with state-of-the-art equipment that includes a fancy LED-filled ceiling, surround screens and a unique system allowing actors to "fly" into action from high above the auditorium.

"I'm a bit of a greenhorn in the theater world," says Tanuma, Alternative Theatre's executive producer and president of the multipurpose Studio Alta in Shinjuku. However, he's not a newcomer to entertainment and adds that he has "had his antenna out for something new" ever since the studio was hit by the loss of lunchtime show "Waratte Iitomo!" ("It's OK to Laugh!"), which was canceled in March 2014 after 32 years of live broadcasts.