Passing on Cinema Seats to the Public: "Chair Inheritance Event" to be Held at the Former Site of the Tanukikoji 5-Chome Movie Theater
Following the closure of a long-beloved movie theater in Sapporo's Tanukikoji 5-chome, the building owner and the operators of the upcoming "SYNC north" venue are hosting an event to give away the theater's seats to the public. Participants can remove and take home these historic seats to preserve a piece of the city's cultural memory.
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- 📰 Published: March 30, 2026 at 19:00
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With the closure of the movie theater that has been long cherished in Sapporo's Tanukikoji 5-chome, the building owner, Tanii Co., Ltd., and Arc Co., Ltd.—which operates the live house/club "SYNC north" scheduled to open at the site in the summer of 2026—will hold a special event to gift the chairs actually used in the cinema to the public.
This location first opened in 1925 as "Sanyukan," the first movie theater in Sapporo. It was rebuilt in 1981, establishing a two-screen system known as "Toho Plaza" and "Plaza 2." Later, in 2020, it became a four-theater cinema complex.
The seats used in Theater 1 and Theater 4 were those installed by Toho Plaza in 2006, while the seats in Theater 2 and Theater 3 were those installed by the cinema operator that moved in during 2020.
This event was planned with the goal of passing these chairs—which have supported Sapporo's culture for many years—into the daily lives of the city's residents, rather than discarding them, so that they may remain as a memory of the city for the future.
The chairs that have supported countless stories will now go on to carve out new stories in the homes of the public.
Participants can personally remove the chairs at the venue and take them home as they are.
"Why not take home a seat from the movie theater?"
Dates: Wednesday, April 1; Thursday, April 2; Friday, April 3; Saturday, April 4, 2026
Times: 4/1-4/3: (1) 12:00-14:00 (2) 18:00-20:00 | 4/4: (1) 10:00-12:00
Venue: Former Satsugeki (Minami 2-jo Nishi 5-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, within Tanukikoji 5-chome)
Content: Free transfer of chairs actually used in the movie theater
Application: Via the application form: https://forms.gle/2U1KRcs5hZNFePFv8
※ First-come, first-served basis (ends when stock runs out) (Total of 454 chairs)
※ Please check the details of the chairs upon arrival. The organizers can assist with detaching the connecting parts.
※ Participants must remove and transport the chairs themselves.
※ Required tools: Flat-head screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, pry bar, 10mm wrench, 12mm ratchet.
※ Some chairs will also be used inside the "SYNC north" venue.
※ Please refrain from contacting the movie theater or the theater operating company.
About SYNC north
Opening in the summer of 2026 at the former movie theater site in Tanukikoji 5-chome, this will be the largest live house/club in Hokkaido.
With a total floor area of 1,500 square meters, it will operate as a live house with two separate floors during the day, and as a state-of-the-art nightclub with bar lounges across three floors at night. It is a hybrid entertainment space unlike any other in the country, taking on completely different expressions depending on the time of day.
The concept for renovating the large space that served as a movie theater for many years is a "secret base."
The design features a neo-vintage, rugged interior with a theme-park-like industrial feel, equipped with cutting-edge lighting and video systems. It creates a three-dimensional, extraordinary space that feels like wandering into another dimension.
■ Contact Information (Including Press)
Arc Co., Ltd. PR Representative: Sasaki
Mail: sync-north@arc-eco.co.jp
Phone: 090-9750-6131 (12:00-16:00)