With well over 100 years, cinema in Japan has been growing more and more each day. In 1899, the first Japanese film, called Geisha No Teodori, a feature-length documentary, was produced. However, the first major production of Japanese cinema only happened in 1913, which was the first version of Chushingura, the 47 Ronins, based on the legend of masterless samurais.
For a certain period, as happened in other countries, the film industry was controlled by the military. The cinemas showed educational films and militaristic propaganda in large quantities. They also began to produce films focusing on loyalty to the Emperor and personal sacrifice for the benefit of the people. Thus, during World War II, films acquired the objective of ideological propaganda.
Cinema in Japan after World War II
In the post-war period, Japan was both devastated in terms of infrastructure and psychologically. Cinema became a tool for re-education for the country, but gradually, with economic growth, space opened up for major studios like Toho, Shochiku, and Daiei to rebuild. During this period, Western influence became stronger and more evident among people, thus reflecting in cinema.
It is in this scenario that the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa emerges, debuting in 1943 with Sugata Sanshiro. (Sugata Sanshiro – A Judo Saga). Kurosawa began to gain popularity in Japan, creating stories where good and evil are not easily defined. In 1951, international recognition came when Akira Kurosawa was awarded in Venice for his film “Rashomon,” many even say that this film originated the category of the Oscar for Best Foreign Film.
Two years later, Teinosuke Kinugasa, an actor and director of Japanese cinema, filmed “Samurai Loves” (Jigokumon), which was the first color film from Japan to have an international premiere, and in 1954 this film would receive two Oscars. From then on, Japan’s film production grew considerably, with 300 films annually in the following years, when for the first time, Japanese cinema surpassed American cinema in theaters in Japan.
Diversifying cinema in Japan
The themes varied greatly, ranging from dramas to comedies, and it was during this time that the first cinema divas began to appear, as women played a central role in cinema. Musical films reappeared, as well as action and superhero films. And in 1954, after the popularization of the Godzilla series, science fiction and fantasy films gained their space.
In the 60s and 70s, new central themes began to emerge. Directors like Nagisa Oshima, Shohei Imamura, Masahiro Shinoda, and Seijun Suzuki broke tradition, addressing modern themes in a provocative and even shocking manner, tackling issues such as crime, sex, the role of minorities, and anti-heroes, also using surrealism and unconventional narrative forms for that time.
In 1988, Katsuhiro Otomo began his animation career with the famous and revolutionary Akira. The film depicted a pessimistic future after a nuclear war, combining technology, juvenile delinquency, and political conspiracies. In the same year, Hayao Miyazaki adapted his manga Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Kaze no tani no Naushika) for cinema.
In 2001, Hayao Miyazaki released Spirited Away, a film that broke box office records worldwide. It won the Golden Lion in Venice and the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. In 2016, another film called Kimi no na wa appeared to break more box office records.
Today, Japanese cinema continues its growth and popularity both nationally and internationally. With great films, authors, directors, and actors, it is driving the economy of this medium.
Article written by Marcelo do Carmo.
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