 The Morita-za was first built by Morita Tarōbei I and his son Morita Tashichi in 1660, in Edo's Kobiki-chō district.The theater would burn down only a few months later, and many more times over the years, but was always rebuilt (until 1923).It was designated as one of only four theaters allowed to operate in Edo, by a 1670 government edict; the other three officially designated theaters were the Nakamura-za, Ichimura-Takenojō-za, and Yamamura-za.