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Shochiku

April 12, 2024

Shochiku Co., Ltd. (松竹株式会社, Shōchiku Kabushiki gaisha) is a Japanese entertainment company. It started its business in 1895 by managing kabuki theaters in Kyoto, and in 1914, it also acquired ownership of the Kabuki-za theater in Tokyo. In 1920, Shochiku entered the film production industry and established the Kamata Film Studio. Currently, it is considered one of Japan's Big Four film studios and is the oldest among the Big Four. Shochiku is a member of the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (MPPAJ).

Shochiku Co., Ltd.
Headquarters in Tsukiji, Chūō, Tokyo
Native name
松竹株式会社
Shōchiku Kabushiki gaisha
Company typePublic (Kabushiki gaisha)
IndustryEntertainment (film)
Founded1895; 129 years ago (1895)
Founders
  • Takejirō Ōtani
  • Matsujirō Shirai
HeadquartersTsukiji 4-1-1,
Chūō, Tokyo
,
Japan
Revenue5.4 billion yen (2021)
Number of employees
1,427 (2021)
Subsidiaries
  • Shochiku Costume
  • Shochiku Service Network
  • Shochiku Showbiz Studios
  • Shochiku Geino
  • Shochiku Broadcasting
  • Shochiku Studio
  • Shochiku Video Center
  • Shochiku Multiplex Theatres
  • Shochiku Music Publishing
Websitewww.shochiku.co.jp

It also produces and distributes anime films, in particular those produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks (which has a long-time partnership—the company released most, if not all, anime films produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks). Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Mikio Naruse, Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada. It has also produced films by highly regarded independent and "loner" directors such as Takashi Miike, Takeshi Kitano, Akira Kurosawa, Masaki Kobayashi and Taiwanese New Wave director Hou Hsiao-hsien.

History edit

As Shochiku Kinema edit

 
Otani Takejiro & Shirai Matsujiro in 1932

The company was founded in 1895 as a kabuki production company and later began producing films in 1920.[1] Shochiku is considered the oldest company in Japan involved in present-day film production,[2] but Nikkatsu began earlier as a pure film studio in 1912. Founded by the brothers Takejirō Ōtani (大谷竹次郎) and Matsujirō Shirai (白井松次郎), it was named “Matsutake” in 1902 after the combined kunyomi reading of the kanji take (bamboo) and matsu (pine) from their names, reflecting the traditional three symbols of happiness: bamboo, pine, and plum. The onyomi reading of Shōchiku first appeared in 1920 with the founding of the film production subsidiary "Shōchiku Kinema Gōmei-sha".[3]

Shochiku grew quickly in the early years, expanding its business to many other Japanese live theatrical styles, including Noh and Bunraku, and established a near monopoly due to its ownership of theaters, as well as kabuki and shimpa drama troupes.[2]

The company began making films in 1920, about a decade after its main rival Nikkatsu. The company sought to break away from the prevailing pattern of jidai-geki and to emulate Hollywood standards. It was the first film studio to abandon the use of female impersonators and brought new ideas, including the star system and the sound stage to Japan. It built its main studio at Kamata, named Shochiku Kamata Studio, between Tokyo and Yokohama, and hired Henry Kotani, a Japanese who had worked in Hollywood as an actor and cameraman to direct its first film, Island Woman (Shima no Onna, 1920). It also hired the prominent theater director Kaoru Osanai to head a school at the studio, which produced the film Souls on the Road (1921), a film directed by Minoru Murata which is considered "the first landmark film in Japanese history".[4]

However, Shochiku's early history was difficult, as audiences preferred the more action-packed jidai-geki historical swashbucklers over the shinpa melodramas, and its Kamata studios were destroyed by the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, forcing a temporary relocation to Kyoto.[2]

With the reopening of its Kamata studios, Shochiku also introduced the shomin-geki genre,[5] with stories reflecting the lives of the lower-middle urban classes. These dramas proved immensely popular, and marked the start of the careers of many prominent directors (including Ozu, Naruse, and Hiroshi Shimizu) and actors (including Kinuyo Tanaka).

In 1931, Shochiku released the first “talkie” made in Japan: The Neighbor's Wife and Mine (Madamu to nyōbō, 1930). Filming became increasingly difficult at the Kamata studios during the 1930s with the rapid industrialization of the surrounding area, such as the construction of munitions factories and metal foundries, and Shochiku decided to close the studio and relocate to Ofuna, near Kamakura in 1936. The following year, Shochiku Kinema was merged with its parent company, Shochiku Entertainment, and adopted the new name of Shochiku Corporation.[2]

As Shochiku Corporation edit

 
An old Shochiku ident until 1999

During the war years, Shochiku's president, Shiro Kido, helped establish the Dai Nippon Eiga Kyokai (Greater Japan Film association), whose purpose was to coordinate the industry's efforts with Japanese government policy. From the mid-1930s until 1945, the films produced by Shochiku and other Japanese movie companies were propagandistic. After the surrender of Japan, Kido and Shochiku's co-founder Otani were arrested and charged with Class-A war crimes by the Allied occupation authorities[2] however, Otani's charges were ultimately dropped after the list of war criminals was deemed too large.[6]

In 1953, after the end of the occupation, Kido returned to Shochiku and revived the melodramatic style of films which had been a Shochiku trademark in the pre-war era. Directors associated with Shochiku in this era included Ozu, Keisuke Kinoshita, and Noboru Nakamura. Many of the films during the 1950s were aimed primarily at female audiences. In particular, Hideo Oba's three-part What is Your Name? (Kimi no na wa?) in 1953 was the most commercially successful film of the period.[2] Ozu's Tokyo Story, made in 1953, later earned considerable accolades, being selected in the 2012 Sight & Sound international critics poll as the third best film of all time[7]

Toho was Shochiku's primary rival during this period, competing for talent and properties as well as with the influx of Hollywood films and the rise of television.[8] By the start of the 1960s, Shochiku's films were criticized as “old-fashioned” with the popularity of rival Nikkatsu’s Taiyo-zoku youth-orientated movies. The studio responded by launching the Japanese New Wave (Nuberu bagu) which also launched the career of Nagisa Oshima among others,[5] though Oshima soon went independent; the films of Oshima and other film makers were not financially successful and the company changed its policies.[5]

However, the growing threat from television led to the bankruptcy of Shochiku’s competitors Shintoho in 1961 and Daiei in 1971, whereas Nikkatsu and Toei turned to gangster movies and soft pornography to maintain attendance, while Toho continued to thrive with its kaiju films and prestige talent roster. Shochiku held its family-orientated audience largely due to the phenomenal success of the Tora-san series directed by Yoji Yamada from 1969 through 1997. However, with the death of its star Kiyoshi Atsumi, the series came to an end, and the company faced increasing financial difficulties.[2] In 1986, Shochiku decided to focus on exporting products, such as towards a large, worldwide effort that was scheduled for 1987 to promote the company's classics throughout the west.[9]

The Ofuna studio was briefly transformed into a theme park, Kamakura Cinema World, but this was closed in 1998 and the site was sold off in 2000 to Kamakura Women's College. Since that time, Shochiku has relied on its film studio and backlot in Kyoto. Yamada’s “The Twilight Samurai” (Tasogare Seibei, 2002) was nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Language Picture.[2]

Shochiku served as a distributor of theatrical anime. Major titles have included the Cardcaptor Sakura films, the Mobile Suit Gundam films, Origin: Spirits of the Past, Piano no Mori, Ghost in the Shell, Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa, Fullmetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos, Sword of the Stranger, Fairy Tail the Movie: Phoenix Priestess, The Dog of Flanders and Jungle Emperor Leo.

Shareholders edit

as of October 2015

Partial list of Shochiku's films edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Standish, Isolde (2005). A New History of Japanese Cinema: A Century of Narrative Film. New York: Continuum. ISBN 978-0826417909.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Sharpe, Jasper (2011). Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema. Scarecrow Press. pp. 222–225. ISBN 978-0-8108-7541-8.
  3. ^ . Archived from the original on 2010-11-13.
  4. ^ Mark Cousins (4 October 2006). The Story of Film. Da Capo Press. p. 56. ISBN 978-1-56025-933-6.
  5. ^ a b c Alexander Jacoby, A Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors, 2008, Berkeley: Stone Bridge Press, p.381.
  6. ^ Joseph L Anderson & Donald Richie (1960). The Japanese Film: Art and Industry (Expanded ed.). Charles E. Tuttle Company. pp. 163–164. ISBN 978-0691007922.
  7. ^ . bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  8. ^ Kindem, Gorham Anders (2000). The international movie industry. Carbondale : Southern Illinois University Press. p. 17.
  9. ^ "Japan's Shochiku Devoting More Attention To Export Of Product". Variety. 1986-08-20. p. 6.
  10. ^ Galbraith, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. pp. 49, 324.
  11. ^ a b c Galbraith, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. p. 323.
  12. ^ Lee, Walter W. (1973). Reference Guide to Fantastic Films. Chelsea-Lee Books. p. 239.
  13. ^ a b Galbraith, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. p. 325.
  14. ^ Galbraith, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. p. 318.
  15. ^ Galbraith, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. p. 319.
  16. ^ a b Galbraith, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. p. 321.
  17. ^ Galbraith, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. p. 308.
  18. ^ Galbraith, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. p. 320.
  19. ^ "ギララの逆襲／洞爺湖サミット危機一発". Kinema Junpo. Retrieved 27 December 2020.

External links edit

  Media related to Shochiku at Wikimedia Commons

  • Shochiku Co., Ltd.

April 12, 2024
shochiku, 松竹株式会社, shōchiku, kabushiki, gaisha, japanese, entertainment, company, started, business, 1895, managing, kabuki, theaters, kyoto, 1914, also, acquired, ownership, kabuki, theater, tokyo, 1920, entered, film, production, industry, established, kamata. Shochiku Co Ltd 松竹株式会社 Shōchiku Kabushiki gaisha is a Japanese entertainment company It started its business in 1895 by managing kabuki theaters in Kyoto and in 1914 it also acquired ownership of the Kabuki za theater in Tokyo In 1920 Shochiku entered the film production industry and established the Kamata Film Studio Currently it is considered one of Japan s Big Four film studios and is the oldest among the Big Four Shochiku is a member of the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan MPPAJ Shochiku Co Ltd Headquarters in Tsukiji Chuō TokyoNative name松竹株式会社Romanized nameShōchiku Kabushiki gaishaCompany typePublic Kabushiki gaisha Traded asTYO 9601 FSE 9601IndustryEntertainment film Founded1895 129 years ago 1895 FoundersTakejirō Ōtani Matsujirō ShiraiHeadquartersTsukiji 4 1 1 Chuō Tokyo JapanRevenue5 4 billion yen 2021 Number of employees1 427 2021 SubsidiariesShochiku Costume Shochiku Service Network Shochiku Showbiz Studios Shochiku Geino Shochiku Broadcasting Shochiku Studio Shochiku Video Center Shochiku Multiplex Theatres Shochiku Music PublishingWebsitewww wbr shochiku wbr co wbr jpIt also produces and distributes anime films in particular those produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks which has a long time partnership the company released most if not all anime films produced by Bandai Namco Filmworks Its best remembered directors include Yasujirō Ozu Kenji Mizoguchi Mikio Naruse Keisuke Kinoshita and Yōji Yamada It has also produced films by highly regarded independent and loner directors such as Takashi Miike Takeshi Kitano Akira Kurosawa Masaki Kobayashi and Taiwanese New Wave director Hou Hsiao hsien Contents 1 History 1 1 As Shochiku Kinema 1 2 As Shochiku Corporation 2 Shareholders 3 Partial list of Shochiku s films 4 See also 5 References 6 External linksHistory editAs Shochiku Kinema edit nbsp Otani Takejiro amp Shirai Matsujiro in 1932The company was founded in 1895 as a kabuki production company and later began producing films in 1920 1 Shochiku is considered the oldest company in Japan involved in present day film production 2 but Nikkatsu began earlier as a pure film studio in 1912 Founded by the brothers Takejirō Ōtani 大谷竹次郎 and Matsujirō Shirai 白井松次郎 it was named Matsutake in 1902 after the combined kunyomi reading of the kanji take bamboo and matsu pine from their names reflecting the traditional three symbols of happiness bamboo pine and plum The onyomi reading of Shōchiku first appeared in 1920 with the founding of the film production subsidiary Shōchiku Kinema Gōmei sha 3 Shochiku grew quickly in the early years expanding its business to many other Japanese live theatrical styles including Noh and Bunraku and established a near monopoly due to its ownership of theaters as well as kabuki and shimpa drama troupes 2 The company began making films in 1920 about a decade after its main rival Nikkatsu The company sought to break away from the prevailing pattern of jidai geki and to emulate Hollywood standards It was the first film studio to abandon the use of female impersonators and brought new ideas including the star system and the sound stage to Japan It built its main studio at Kamata named Shochiku Kamata Studio between Tokyo and Yokohama and hired Henry Kotani a Japanese who had worked in Hollywood as an actor and cameraman to direct its first film Island Woman Shima no Onna 1920 It also hired the prominent theater director Kaoru Osanai to head a school at the studio which produced the film Souls on the Road 1921 a film directed by Minoru Murata which is considered the first landmark film in Japanese history 4 However Shochiku s early history was difficult as audiences preferred the more action packed jidai geki historical swashbucklers over the shinpa melodramas and its Kamata studios were destroyed by the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake forcing a temporary relocation to Kyoto 2 With the reopening of its Kamata studios Shochiku also introduced the shomin geki genre 5 with stories reflecting the lives of the lower middle urban classes These dramas proved immensely popular and marked the start of the careers of many prominent directors including Ozu Naruse and Hiroshi Shimizu and actors including Kinuyo Tanaka In 1931 Shochiku released the first talkie made in Japan The Neighbor s Wife and Mine Madamu to nyōbō 1930 Filming became increasingly difficult at the Kamata studios during the 1930s with the rapid industrialization of the surrounding area such as the construction of munitions factories and metal foundries and Shochiku decided to close the studio and relocate to Ofuna near Kamakura in 1936 The following year Shochiku Kinema was merged with its parent company Shochiku Entertainment and adopted the new name of Shochiku Corporation 2 As Shochiku Corporation edit nbsp An old Shochiku ident until 1999During the war years Shochiku s president Shiro Kido helped establish the Dai Nippon Eiga Kyokai Greater Japan Film association whose purpose was to coordinate the industry s efforts with Japanese government policy From the mid 1930s until 1945 the films produced by Shochiku and other Japanese movie companies were propagandistic After the surrender of Japan Kido and Shochiku s co founder Otani were arrested and charged with Class A war crimes by the Allied occupation authorities 2 however Otani s charges were ultimately dropped after the list of war criminals was deemed too large 6 In 1953 after the end of the occupation Kido returned to Shochiku and revived the melodramatic style of films which had been a Shochiku trademark in the pre war era Directors associated with Shochiku in this era included Ozu Keisuke Kinoshita and Noboru Nakamura Many of the films during the 1950s were aimed primarily at female audiences In particular Hideo Oba s three part What is Your Name Kimi no na wa in 1953 was the most commercially successful film of the period 2 Ozu s Tokyo Story made in 1953 later earned considerable accolades being selected in the 2012 Sight amp Sound international critics poll as the third best film of all time 7 Toho was Shochiku s primary rival during this period competing for talent and properties as well as with the influx of Hollywood films and the rise of television 8 By the start of the 1960s Shochiku s films were criticized as old fashioned with the popularity of rival Nikkatsu s Taiyo zoku youth orientated movies The studio responded by launching the Japanese New Wave Nuberu bagu which also launched the career of Nagisa Oshima among others 5 though Oshima soon went independent the films of Oshima and other film makers were not financially successful and the company changed its policies 5 However the growing threat from television led to the bankruptcy of Shochiku s competitors Shintoho in 1961 and Daiei in 1971 whereas Nikkatsu and Toei turned to gangster movies and soft pornography to maintain attendance while Toho continued to thrive with its kaiju films and prestige talent roster Shochiku held its family orientated audience largely due to the phenomenal success of the Tora san series directed by Yoji Yamada from 1969 through 1997 However with the death of its star Kiyoshi Atsumi the series came to an end and the company faced increasing financial difficulties 2 In 1986 Shochiku decided to focus on exporting products such as towards a large worldwide effort that was scheduled for 1987 to promote the company s classics throughout the west 9 The Ofuna studio was briefly transformed into a theme park Kamakura Cinema World but this was closed in 1998 and the site was sold off in 2000 to Kamakura Women s College Since that time Shochiku has relied on its film studio and backlot in Kyoto Yamada s The Twilight Samurai Tasogare Seibei 2002 was nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Language Picture 2 Shochiku served as a distributor of theatrical anime Major titles have included the Cardcaptor Sakura films the Mobile Suit Gundam films Origin Spirits of the Past Piano no Mori Ghost in the Shell Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie Conqueror of Shamballa Fullmetal Alchemist The Sacred Star of Milos Sword of the Stranger Fairy Tail the Movie Phoenix Priestess The Dog of Flanders and Jungle Emperor Leo Shareholders editas of October 2015 Kabuki za Theatrical Corp 3 44 Mizuho Corporate Bank 3 22 Partial list of Shochiku s films editIsland Woman Shima no Onna 1920 directed by Henry Kotani Souls on the Road 1921 directed by Minoru Murata The Neighbor s Wife and Mine 1931 directed by Heinosuke Gosho talkie I Was Born But 1932 directed by Yasujirō Ozu Every Night Dreams 1933 directed by Mikio Naruse Mr Thank You 1936 directed by Hiroshi Shimizu Momotaro s Divine Sea Warriors directed by Mitsuyo Seo A Ball at the Anjo House 1947 directed by Kozaburo Yoshimura President and a Female Clerk 1948 music by Akira Ifukube The New Version of the Ghost of Yotsuya 1949 a k a Shinshaku Yotsuya kaidan filmed in two parts 10 Carmen Comes Home 1951 in Color The Idiot 1951 in Monochrome Twenty Four Eyes 1954 The Mask of Destiny 1955 11 The Dancing Mistress 1957 a k a Kaidan Iro Zange Kyoran Onna Shisho directed by Ryosuke Kurahashi 12 The Ballad of Narayama 1958 in Color GrandScope Harakiri 1962 a k a Sepuku in Shochiku Regalscope Samurai Spy 1962 a k a Spy Hunter in Shochiku European Scope The X From Outer Space 1967 a k a Uchu daikaiju Guirara Giant Space Monster Guilala directed by Kazui Nihonmatsu in Color Scope 13 Black Lizard 1968 a k a Kurotokage in Color Scope 14 Curse of the Blood Kaidan zankoku monogatari 1968 a k a Cruel Ghost Legend in Color Scope 15 Goke Body Snatcher from Hell 1968 a k a Vampire Gokemidoro in Color Scope 16 Genocide 1968 a k a War of the Insects directed by Kazui Nihonmatsu in Color Scope 16 The Living Skeleton 1968 in Black and White Scope 17 The Black Rose Inn 1969 a k a Kurobarano yakata 11 The Rendezvous 1972 in Color Fujicolor CinemaScope The Castle of Sand 1974 in Color Scope Village of the Eight Gravestones 1977 a k a Yatsu hukamura 13 Demon Pond 1979 a k a Yashagaike 18 Children of Nagasaki 1982 in Color Widescreen Super Mario Bros The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach 1986 animated feature film Hachikō Monogatari 1987 a k a The Tale of Hachikō directed by Seijirō Kōyama The Discarnates 1988 in Color VistaVision Venus Wars 1989 animated feature film The Guyver 1991 co produced with Brian Yuzna 11 Jankenman The Great Monster Battle 1992 animated short feature film Floral Magician Mary Bell The Key of the Phoenix 1992 animated short feature film Fatal Fury The Motion Picture 1994 animated feature film Cardcaptor Sakura The Movie 1999 animated feature film Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2 The Sealed Card 2000 animated feature film Ah My Goddess The Movie 2000 animated feature film Monster X Strikes Back Attack the G8 Summit 2008 features the return of Guilala after 41 years of absence 19 Violet Evergarden Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll 2019 See also edit nbsp Japan portal nbsp Asia portal nbsp Film portal nbsp Companies portalAsakusa International Theater a former movie theater Toho Shintoho Tsuburaya Productions Daiei Film Kadokawa Daiei Studio Nikkatsu Toei CompanyReferences edit Standish Isolde 2005 A New History of Japanese Cinema A Century of Narrative Film New York Continuum ISBN 978 0826417909 a b c d e f g h Sharpe Jasper 2011 Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema Scarecrow Press pp 222 225 ISBN 978 0 8108 7541 8 The Corporate Identity of Shochiku Co Ltd Archived from the original on 2010 11 13 Mark Cousins 4 October 2006 The Story of Film Da Capo Press p 56 ISBN 978 1 56025 933 6 a b c Alexander Jacoby A Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors 2008 Berkeley Stone Bridge Press p 381 Joseph L Anderson amp Donald Richie 1960 The Japanese Film Art and Industry Expanded ed Charles E Tuttle Company pp 163 164 ISBN 978 0691007922 Critics top 100 BFI bfi org uk Archived from the original on February 7 2016 Retrieved 27 February 2018 Kindem Gorham Anders 2000 The international movie industry Carbondale Southern Illinois University Press p 17 Japan s Shochiku Devoting More Attention To Export Of Product Variety 1986 08 20 p 6 Galbraith Stuart 1994 Japanese Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films McFarland pp 49 324 a b c Galbraith Stuart 1994 Japanese Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films McFarland p 323 Lee Walter W 1973 Reference Guide to Fantastic Films Chelsea Lee Books p 239 a b Galbraith Stuart 1994 Japanese Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films McFarland p 325 Galbraith Stuart 1994 Japanese Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films McFarland p 318 Galbraith Stuart 1994 Japanese Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films McFarland p 319 a b Galbraith Stuart 1994 Japanese Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films McFarland p 321 Galbraith Stuart 1994 Japanese Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films McFarland p 308 Galbraith Stuart 1994 Japanese Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films McFarland p 320 ギララの逆襲 洞爺湖サミット危機一発 Kinema Junpo Retrieved 27 December 2020 External links edit nbsp Media related to Shochiku at Wikimedia Commons Shochiku Co Ltd Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Shochiku amp oldid 1218120462, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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