is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in

Chiyoda, Tokyo , known as Chiyoda City in English,
." ''City of Chiyoda''. Retrieved on December 28, 2008. is a S ...

, and is one of the core companies of the

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Toho is best known for producing and distributing many of Ishirō Honda and

Eiji Tsuburaya was a Japanese special effects director, filmmaker, and cinematographer. A co-creator of the ''Godzilla (franchise), Godzilla'' and ''Ultraman'' franchises, he is considered one of the most important and influential figures in the history o ...

's ''

kaiju is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. Its widespread contemporary use is credited to ''tokusatsu'' (special effects) director Eiji Tsuburaya and filmmaker Ishirō Honda, who popularized the ''kaiju'' ...

'' and ''

tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, ''tokusatsu'' mainly refers to science fiction film, science fiction, War fi ...

'' films as well as the films of

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker who List of works by Akira Kurosawa, directed 30 feature films in a career spanning six decades. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers in the History of film, history of cinema ...

and the

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

of Studio Ghibli, Shin-Ei Animation, TMS Entertainment,

CoMix Wave Films is a Japanese animation film studio and distribution company based in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The studio is known for its anime feature films, short films, and television commercials, particularly those made by director Makoto Shinkai. It was fo ...

, and OLM, Inc. The company has released the majority of the highest-grossing Japanese films, and through its subsidiaries, is the largest film importer in Japan. The Doraemon film series, distributed by Toho since 1980, is the highest-grossing film series and anime film series in Japan. It is also one of the highest-grossing non-English language film series. Toho Company Limited logo with full name in native language Toho's most famous creation is Godzilla, featured in 33 of the company's films. Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla are described as Toho's Big Five due to their numerous appearances throughout the ''Godzilla'' franchise, as well as spin-offs. Toho has also been involved in the production of numerous anime titles. Its subdivisions are Toho-Towa Company, Limited (Japanese exclusive theatrical distributor of

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

via NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan), Towa Pictures Company Limited (Japanese exclusive theatrical distributor of

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

), Toho Pictures Incorporated, Toho International Inc., Toho E. B. Company Limited, and Toho Music Corporation & Toho Costume Company Limited. The company is the largest shareholder (7.96%) of Fuji Media Holdings Inc. Toho is one of the four members of the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan (MPPAJ), is the largest of Japan's Big Four film studios, and is the only film studio that is a component of the

Nikkei 225 The Nikkei 225, or , more commonly called the ''Nikkei'' or the ''Nikkei index'' (), is a stock market index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE). It is a price-weighted index, operating in the Japanese yen, Japanese Yen (JP¥), and its compone ...

index.

History

Toho was created by the founder of the Hankyu Railway, Ichizō Kobayashi, in 1932 as the . It managed much of the

kabuki is a classical form of Theatre of Japan, Japanese theatre, mixing dramatic performance with Japanese traditional dance, traditional dance. Kabuki theatre is known for its heavily stylised performances, its glamorous, highly decorated costumes ...

in Tokyo and, among other properties, the eponymous Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre and the Imperial Garden Theater in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

; Toho and

Shochiku is a Japanese entertainment company. Founded in 1895, it initially managed '' kabuki'' theaters in Kyoto; in 1914, it also acquired ownership of the Kabuki-za theater in Tokyo. In 1920, Shochiku entered the film production industry and establis ...

enjoyed a duopoly over theaters in Tokyo for many years.

Labor disputes (1946–1948)

After the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the new Occupation government allowed and encouraged the formation of

labor unions A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

, which had been banned under the Imperial government. During a general strike of film studio employees beginning in October 1946, a group of Toho's ten top stars led by Denjiro Okochi split from the main Toho union along with 445 employees. During the resolution of the strike, a closed-shop provision with the main union led to the establishment of the

Shintoho was a Japanese movie studio. It was one of the big six film studios (which also included Daiei, Nikkatsu, Shochiku, Toei Company, and Toho) during the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. It was founded by defectors from the original Toho company ...

Company, which comprised the members of the dissenting union and former Toho facilities.Hirano (1992), pp. 218–223 The loss of major stars led to the hiring and training of new stars, including Toshiro Mifune. The contract made after the strike stipulated that Toho would only produce films approved by a committee that included union members, which led to filmmakers gaining unprecedented creative and productive control over their films. While Toho produced only thirteen films in 1947, six Toho films, including '' One Wonderful Sunday'', directed by

, were ranked among the best ten films of the year in Kinema Junpo. However, each film had double or triple the budget of films produced by other studios, and the company suffered severe losses. In 1948, the new Toho president Tetsuzo Watanabe ordered a return of the wartime quota of 24 films per year and the end of control over production by the union. In April, Toho management announced the dismissal of 1200 employees,Hirano (1992), pp. 223-229 with the aim of both cutting expenses and eliminating Communist leaders from the union. Negotiations failed and the union occupied the studio on April 15, joined by activists from the Japan Communist Party and other organizations, erecting barricades and closing the main gates. On August 13, the Tokyo District Court decided in Toho's favor, and on the morning of August 19, a district police chief arrived at the front gate to read out the court decision. Two thousand policemen surrounded the studio, reinforced by soldiers, three airplanes, and several armored cars and tanks sent by the U.S. Eighth Army. The union leaders agreed to end their occupation on the condition the union was not disbanded. Toho was severely weakened after the strikes and produced only four films in 1948 and five films in 1949, and continued to distribute Shintoho films until the end of 1949.Hirano (1992), pp. 230-236

International expansion (1953–present)

In May 1953, Toho established Toho International, a

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

-based subsidiary intended to target

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

n and

Latin America Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...

n markets. ''Seven Samurai'' was among the first films offered for foreign sales. Toho and Shochiku competed with the influx of Hollywood films and boosted the film industry by focusing on new directors of the likes of

Kon Ichikawa was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His work displays a vast range in genre and style, from the anti-war films '' The Burmese Harp'' (1956) and '' Fires on the Plain'' (1959), to the documentary '' Tokyo Olympiad'' (1965), which won t ...

Keisuke Kinoshita was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Ronald Berganbr>"A satirical eye on Japan: Keisuke Kinoshita" ''The Guardian'', 5 January 1999. While lesser-known internationally than contemporaries such as Akira Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi and ...

, Ishirō Honda, and Kaneto Shindo. After several successful film exports to the United States during the 1950s through Henry G. Saperstein, Toho took over the La Brea Theatre in

to show its films without the need to sell them to a distributor. It was known as the Toho Theatre from the late 1960s until the 1970s. Toho also had a theater in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

and opened a theater in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in 1963. The

Company, which existed until 1961, was named New Toho because it broke off from the original company. Toho has contributed to the production of some American films, including Sam Raimi's 1998 film, '' A Simple Plan'' and Paul W. S. Anderson's 2020

military science fiction Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction and military fiction that depicts the use of science fiction technology, including spaceships and science fiction weapons, weapons, for military purposes and usually principal characters ...

film, '' Monster Hunter''. In 2019, Toho invested ¥15.4 billion ($14 million) into their Los Angeles-based subsidiary Toho International Inc. as part of their "Toho Vision 2021 Medium-term Management Strategy", a strategy to increase content, platform, real-estate, beat JPY50 billion profits, and increase character businesses on Toho intellectual properties such as Godzilla. Hiroyasu Matsuoka was named the representative director of the US subsidiary. In 2020, Toho acquired a 34.8% stake in the animation studio TIA, with ILCA and Anima each retaining a 32.6% stake. In 2022, Toho acquired Anima's 32.6% stake to take a controlling 67.4% stake in TIA, making the studio a subsidiary, and ultimately renaming the studio into Toho Animation Studios. In December 2023, Toho announced their intent to acquire a 25% stake in Fifth Season for $225 million via Toho International. Following the completion of the deal, Fifth Season will be valued at $900 million; CJ ENM will remain the majority shareholder in the company, with former owner Endeavor also continuing to serve as a strategic shareholder. CEOs Graham Taylor and Chris Rice stated that this investment would empower the company to continue the expansion of its premium slate and create opportunities for collaboration between Fifth Season, Toho and CJ ENM to produce global content as well as content produced in Japan. Following the success of '' Godzilla Minus One'' (2023) as their first self-distributed film in the U.S., Toho declared in March 2024 that Godzilla is their "

Intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, co ...

(IP) treasure" and they had regained retailing rights overseas (which were once abandoned), and now are able to sell, advertise, and distribute their own products to consumers outside Japan directly. The company also said that the film winning Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards is helping them gain more recognition and advancing more business extension overseas.In April 2025, Toho announced plans to invest ¥15 billion ($105 million) into Godzilla, including a ''Godzilla Minus One'' sequel, video games, merchandise, and amusement park attractions, as part of a larger ¥120 billion ($830 million) investment into expanding its film and anime projects.

Productions and distributions

Films

Television

Tokusatsu

*'' Ike! Godman'' (1972) *'' Warrior of Love: Rainbowman'' (1972) *'' Zone Fighter'' (1973) *'' Ike! Greenman'' (1973) *''Warrior Of Light: Diamond Eye'' (1973) *'' Flying Saucer War Bankid'' (1976) *'' Megaloman'' (1979) *'' Electronic Brain Police Cybercop'' (1988) *'' Seven Stars Fighting God Guyferd'' (1996) *'' Godzilla Island'' (1997) *'' Chouseishin Gransazer'' (2003) *'' Genseishin Justirisers'' (2004) *'' Chousei Kantai Sazer-X'' (2005) *''Kawaii! Jenny'' (2007) *''Godziban'' (2019–present)

Anime

*'' Belle and Sebastian'' (1981) *'' Igano Kabamaru'' (1983) *''

Touch The somatosensory system, or somatic sensory system is a subset of the sensory nervous system. The main functions of the somatosensory system are the perception of external stimuli, the perception of internal stimuli, and the regulation of bo ...

'' (1985) *'' Kimagure Orange Road'' (1987) *'' Baoh'' (1989) *'' Godzilland'' (1992) *'' Shimajiro'' (1993–present) *'' Midori Days'' (co-production; 2004)

Toho Animation

Toho Animation (stylized as TOHO animation) is a Japanese anime production label founded in 2012, and owned by Toho Co., Ltd., which is one of the top three film distributors in Japan. The process of the label is done in a similar fashion to

Sony Pictures Animation Sony Pictures Animation Inc. (also referred to as Sony Animation Studios and abbreviated to SPA) is an American animation studio owned by Sony Entertainment's Sony Pictures Entertainment through their Motion Picture Group division and found ...

. *'' Psycho-Pass'' (2012) *'' Majestic Prince'' (2013) **'' Galactic Armored Fleet Majestic Prince: Wings to the Future'' (2016) **'' Galactic Armored Fleet Majestic Prince: Genetic Awakening'' (2016) *'' Fantasista Doll'' (2013) *'' Meganebu!'' (2013) *'' Yowamushi Pedal'' (2013) *'' Engaged to the Unidentified'' (2014) *'' One Week Friends'' (2014) *'' Haikyū!!'' (2014) *'' Ao Haru Ride'' (2014) *'' Blood Blockade Battlefront'' (2015) *'' Chaos Dragon'' (2015) *'' Monster Musume'' (2015) *'' Himouto! Umaru-chan'' (2015) **'' Himouto! Umaru-chan R'' (2017) *'' Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash'' (2016) *'' She and Her Cat: Everything Flows'' (2016) *'' My Hero Academia'' (2016) *'' Three Leaves, Three Colors'' (2016) *'' Orange'' (2016) *'' Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru'' (2016) **'' Zoku Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru'' (2018) **'' Toku Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru ~Setsugetsuka~'' (2022) *'' Little Witch Academia'' (2017) *'' Sakura Quest'' (2017) *'' Land of the Lustrous'' (2017) *'' Teasing Master Takagi-san'' (2018) *'' Uma Musume Pretty Derby'' (2018) *'' Hanebado!'' (2018) *'' Run with the Wind'' (2018) *'' Anima Yell!'' (2018) *'' FLCL Progressive'' (2018) *'' FLCL Alternative'' (2018) *'' Fairy Gone'' (2019) *'' Dr. Stone'' (2019) *'' Business Fish'' (2019) *'' Beastars'' (2019) *'' Azur Lane'' (2019) *'' Drifting Dragons'' (2020) *'' BNA: Brand New Animal'' (2020) *'' Great Pretender'' (2020) *'' Dorohedoro'' (2020) *'' Jujutsu Kaisen'' (2020) *'' Mushoku Tensei'' (2021) *''

Seven Knights ''Seven Knights'' (, ) is a series of online free-to-play role-playing game created by Netmarble. The first game was released for Android and iOS devices in March 2014 in South Korea and in February 2016 worldwide. A realistic sequel mob ...

'' (2021) *'' Godzilla Singular Point'' (2021) *''

Spy × Family ''Spy × Family'' (stylized as ''SPY×FAMILY'' and pronounced "spy family") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuya Endo. The story follows Loid Forger, an enigmatic spy who has to "build a family" to execute a missio ...

'' (2022) *'' The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten'' (2023) *'' Chibi Godzilla Raids Again'' (2023) *'' Frieren: Beyond Journey's End'' (2023) *'' The Apothecary Diaries'' (2023) *'' Bucchigiri?!'' (2024) *'' Kaiju No. 8'' (2024)

Theater

Toho has produced revivals and original works. Years shown refer to when they staged each piece. * '' Les Miserables'' * '' Elisabeth'' * '' Rent'' * '' Mozart!'' * ''Newsies'' * '' Spirited Away'' * ''Moulin Rouge!'' (2023) * '' JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'' (2024) * '' In This Corner of the World'' (2024)

Video games

* '' Cliff Hanger'' In more recent years and for a period, they have produced

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

s. One of their first video games was the 1990 NES game titled '' Circus Caper''. Later, they followed with a series of games based on Godzilla and a 1992 game called '' Serizawa Nobuo no Birdy Try''. It also published games such as '' Super Aleste'' (''Space Megaforce'' in North America). They even worked with

Bandai is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered ...

on '' Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', released in Japan in 1988 and in the United States in 1989.

Significant employees

''dates as company employee'' *

(1937–1966) * Isao Matsuoka (1957-2009) - Longtime president and chairman of Toho. * (1937-1976) *

(1937-1969) * Tomoyuki Tanaka (1941-1947;1952-1997) - Creator of Godzilla; President, CEO, and Chairman of Toho Studios * Ishirō Honda (1942-1975)

Toho Cinderella Audition

The Toho Cinderella Audition is an audition to discover new young actresses, first held in 1984 and irregularly held since then. It is considered one of Japan's "Big Three Actress Auditions", along with Oscar Promotion's National Bishōjo Contest and Horipro's Talent Scout Caravan.

Headquarters

Toho's headquarters, the , are in Yūrakuchō,