Daiei Film Co. Ltd. (
Kyūjitai
''Kyūjitai'' () are the traditional forms of kanji (Chinese written characters used in Japanese writing). Their simplified counterparts are '' shinjitai'' (). Some of the simplified characters arose centuries ago and were in everyday use in bot ...
:
Shinjitai
are the simplified forms of kanji used in Japan since the promulgation of the Tōyō Kanji List in 1946. Some of the new forms found in ''shinjitai'' are also found in simplified Chinese characters, but ''shinjitai'' is generally not as exten ...
: ''Daiei Eiga
Kabushiki Kaisha
A or ''kabushiki kaisha'', commonly abbreviated K.K. or KK, is a type of defined under the Companies Act of Japan. The term is often translated as "stock company", "joint-stock company" or "stock corporation". The term ''kabushiki gaisha'' i ...
'') was a Japanese
film studio
A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; how ...
. Founded in 1942 as Dai Nippon Film Co., Ltd., it was one of the major studios during the postwar Golden Age of Japanese cinema, producing not only artistic masterpieces, such as
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 ...
's ''
Rashomon
is a 1950 Japanese ''jidaigeki'' film directed by Akira Kurosawa from a screenplay he co-wrote with Shinobu Hashimoto. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Masayuki Mori, and Takashi Shimura, it follows various people who describe how a ...
'' (1950) and
Kenji Mizoguchi
was a Japanese filmmaker who directed roughly one hundred films during his career between 1923 and 1956. His most acclaimed works include '' The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums'' (1939), '' The Life of Oharu'' (1952), '' Ugetsu'' (1953), and ' ...
's ''
Ugetsu
''Ugetsu'' (雨月物語, ''Ugetsu Monogatari'', lit. "Rain-moon tales") is a 1953 Japanese period fantasy film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi starring Masayuki Mori and Machiko Kyō. It is based on the stories "The House in the Thicket" and "Th ...
'' (1953), but also launching several film series, such as ''
Gamera
is a fictional giant monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the Gamera, the Giant Monster, eponymous 1965 Japanese film. The character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of Toho's Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' ...
'', ''
Zatoichi
is a fictional character created by Japanese novelist Kan Shimozawa. He is an itinerant blind masseur and swordsman of Japan's late Edo period (1830s and 1840s). He first appeared in the 1948 essay ''Zatoichi Monogatari'', part of Shimozawa's '' ...
'' and ''
Yokai Monsters
is a trilogy of Japanese horror/fantasy films written by Tetsuro Yoshida and released in the late 1960s. The films were produced by Daiei Film, and productions were largely influenced by ''Gamera'' and ''Daimajin'' franchises where Daimajin was ...
'', and making the three ''
Daimajin
is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' series centering on an eponymous fictitious giant warrior god. It initially consisted of a film trilogy shot simultaneously and released in 1966 with three different directors and predominantly the same crew. The seri ...
'' films (1966). It declared bankruptcy in 1971 and was acquired by
Kadokawa Pictures
Kadokawa Daiei Studio Co., Ltd., formerly is the film production division of the Japanese company the Kadokawa Corporation.
History
In 1945, Genyoshi Kadokawa established Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., focusing on the publishing business. ...
.
History
Daiei Film was the product of government efforts to reorganize the film industry during World War II in order to rationalize use of resources and increase control over the medium. Against a government plan to combine all the film studios into two companies,
Masaichi Nagata
was a Japanese businessman and served as president of Daiei Film. The self-proclaimed creator of Gamera, he produced the kaiju's second film ''Gamera vs. Barugon'', with the remainder of the Gamera#Films, Showa ''Gamera'' films produced instead ...
, an executive at
Shinkō Kinema, pressed hard for an alternative plan to create three studios.
His efforts won out and Shinkō Kinema, Daito Eiga, and the production arm of
Nikkatsu
is a Japanese film studio located in Bunkyō. The name ''Nikkatsu'' amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Motion Pictures".
Shareholders are Nippon Television Holdings (35%) and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (28.4%). ...
(the Nikkatsu theaters did not take part in the merger) were merged in 1942 to form the ''Dai Nippon Eiga Seisaku Kabushiki Kaisha'', or Daiei for short.
The novelist
Kan Kikuchi
, also known as Kan Kikuchi (which uses the same kanji as his real name), was a Japanese author and publisher. He established the publishing company Bungeishunjū, the monthly magazine of the same name, the Japan Writer's Association and both ...
served as the first president, with Nagata continuing as an executive. Daiei's studios were located in
Chofu, Tokyo and in Uzumasa in
Kyoto
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
.
Golden era
Nagata became president in 1947 and, apart from a brief period when he was purged by
Occupation authorities, remained in that position until 1971.
Under his reign, Daiei produced
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 ...
's ''
Rashomon
is a 1950 Japanese ''jidaigeki'' film directed by Akira Kurosawa from a screenplay he co-wrote with Shinobu Hashimoto. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Masayuki Mori, and Takashi Shimura, it follows various people who describe how a ...
'' (1950) and entered it in the
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...
, where it won the grand prize and became the first Japanese film to win an international award, thus introducing Japanese cinema to the world. Daiei also produced
Teinosuke Kinugasa
was a Japanese filmmaker and actor. His best-known films include the Silent film, silent Experimental film, avant-garde films ''A Page of Madness'' and ''Crossroads (1928 film), Crossroads'' and the Academy Awards, Academy Award-winning historic ...
's ''
Gate of Hell'' (1953), the first Japanese color film to be shown abroad, earning both an honorary
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...
and the
Palme d'Or
The (; ) is the highest prize awarded to the director of the Best Feature Film of the Official Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festiv ...
at the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world.
Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
. Daiei also produced such renowned films as
Kenji Mizoguchi
was a Japanese filmmaker who directed roughly one hundred films during his career between 1923 and 1956. His most acclaimed works include '' The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums'' (1939), '' The Life of Oharu'' (1952), '' Ugetsu'' (1953), and ' ...
's ''
Ugetsu
''Ugetsu'' (雨月物語, ''Ugetsu Monogatari'', lit. "Rain-moon tales") is a 1953 Japanese period fantasy film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi starring Masayuki Mori and Machiko Kyō. It is based on the stories "The House in the Thicket" and "Th ...
'' (1953) and ''
Sansho the Bailiff
is a 1954 Japanese period film directed by Kenji Mizoguchi based on a 1915 short story of the same name by Mori Ōgai (translated as "Sanshō the Steward" in English), which in turn was based on a (oral lore) appearing in written form in the ...
'' (1954), as well as ''
Jokyo'' ("A Woman's Testament", 1960) which was entered into the
10th Berlin International Film Festival
The 10th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 24 June to 5 July 1960.
The Golden Bear was awarded to '' El Lazarillo de Tormes'' directed by César Fernández Ardavín.
Juries
The following people were announced as being ...
.
On the popular front, Daiei was also known for such successful film series as the ''
Zatoichi
is a fictional character created by Japanese novelist Kan Shimozawa. He is an itinerant blind masseur and swordsman of Japan's late Edo period (1830s and 1840s). He first appeared in the 1948 essay ''Zatoichi Monogatari'', part of Shimozawa's '' ...
'' series starring
Shintaro Katsu
was a Japanese actor, singer, and filmmaker. He is known for starring in the ''Akumyo'' series, the ''Hoodlum Soldier'' series, and the ''Zatoichi'' series.
Life and career
Born Toshio Okumura (奥村 利夫 ''Okumura Toshio'') on 29 Novemb ...
, the ''
Nemuri Kyoshiro'' (''Sleepy Eyes of Death'') series starring
Raizō Ichikawa, the original ''
Gamera
is a fictional giant monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the Gamera, the Giant Monster, eponymous 1965 Japanese film. The character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of Toho's Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' ...
'' series, the ''
Daimajin
is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' series centering on an eponymous fictitious giant warrior god. It initially consisted of a film trilogy shot simultaneously and released in 1966 with three different directors and predominantly the same crew. The seri ...
'' trilogy and the ''
Yokai Monsters
is a trilogy of Japanese horror/fantasy films written by Tetsuro Yoshida and released in the late 1960s. The films were produced by Daiei Film, and productions were largely influenced by ''Gamera'' and ''Daimajin'' franchises where Daimajin was ...
'' trilogy. Daiei also produced many television series such as ''Shōnen Jet''.
At its peak, Daiei featured such talent as the actors Raizō Ichikawa, Shintaro Katsu,
Kazuo Hasegawa
, formerly known by his stage names and , was a Japanese film and stage actor. He appeared in over 300 films from 1927 to 1963.
Career
Born to a sake brewing family in Kyoto, he first appeared on stage at age five in a theater run by his famil ...
,
Fujiko Yamamoto,
Machiko Kyō
Motoko Yano, better known as , was a Japanese actress who was active primarily in the 1950s. Considered one of Japan's first sex symbols and one of its greatest screen actresses, Kyō is best known for her critically acclaimed work with director ...
, and
Ayako Wakao; the directors Kenji Mizoguchi,
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 ...
,
Yasuzo Masumura,
Tokuzō Tanaka
was a Japanese film director. He is well known for directing the ''Zatoichi'' and ''Nemuri Kyōshirō'' film series.
Biography
Tanaka graduated from Kwansei Gakuin University. In 1948, he joined the Daiei Film, Daiei studio and started workin ...
,
and
Kenji Misumi
(2 March 1921 – 24 September 1975) was a Japanese film director. He created film series such as ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' and the initial film in the long-running ''Zatoichi'' series, and also directed ''Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice'', starri ...
;
[ and the cinematographer ]Kazuo Miyagawa
was a Japanese cinematographer.
Career
Born in Kyoto, Miyagawa was taken with sumi-e Chinese ink painting from the age of eleven and began to sell his work as an illustrator while a teenager. He became interested in the cinema during the 1920s, ...
and Fujirō Morita.
Like some other Japanese film studios, Daiei had its own professional baseball team in the 1950s, the Daiei Stars
The were a Japanese professional baseball team that was founded in 1946, and played in various incarnations until 1957, when it merged with another team. Overall, the franchise only had three winning seasons, never rising higher than third place ...
, which later became the Daiei Unions
The were a Japanese professional baseball team that was founded in 1946, and played in various incarnations until 1957, when it merged with another team. Overall, the franchise only had three winning seasons, never rising higher than third place. ...
. These teams eventually became the Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba, Chiba, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings, Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd. The Marines were a founding member of the Pacific Le ...
.
Bankruptcy
Suffering from Nagata's profligacy and an industry-wide decline in attendance, Daiei tried to stay alive by teaming up with Nikkatsu
is a Japanese film studio located in Bunkyō. The name ''Nikkatsu'' amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Motion Pictures".
Shareholders are Nippon Television Holdings (35%) and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (28.4%). ...
to create Dainichi Eihai, but eventually declared bankruptcy in December 1971. Art director Yoshinobu Nishioka
was a Japanese ''jidaigeki'' production designer, art director, Film producer, producer and set decorator from Asuka, Nara, Asuka, Nara Prefecture who won three Japan Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction.
Nishioka join ...
and some of the studio's other employees founded ''Eizo Kyoto Production''. Other members of the union, however, succeeded in getting Yasuyoshi Tokuma, the president of the publishing house Tokuma Shoten
is a publisher in Japan, headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The company was established in 1954 by Yasuyoshi Tokuma in Minato, Tokyo. The company's product portfolio includes music publishing, video game publishing, movies, anime, magazines, man ...
, to revive the company in 1974. The company continued as a producer, making only a small number of films, some of which were big budget spectaculars like the international co-production '' The Go Masters'' (1982), a new ''Gamera'' trilogy (1995, 1996 and 1999), art house hits like '' Shall We Dance?'' (1996), and genre films like Kiyoshi Kurosawa
is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, film critic, author, actor, and a former professor at Tokyo University of the Arts (2005-2023).
Noted for his psychological films that often focus on ambiguous narratives and on their characters' i ...
's ''Pulse
In medicine, the pulse refers to the rhythmic pulsations (expansion and contraction) of an artery in response to the cardiac cycle (heartbeat). The pulse may be felt ( palpated) in any place that allows an artery to be compressed near the surfac ...
'' or Takashi Miike
is a Japanese film director, film producer and screenwriter. He has directed over 100 feature film, video, and television productions since his debut in 1991. His films span a variety of different genres, ranging from violent and surrealism, b ...
's ''Dead or Alive'' films.
Following the passing of Yasuyoshi Tokuma, Daiei Film Co. was sold to the Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co. In November 2002, Chairman Maihiko Kadokawa announced that Daiei Film Co. would merge with the company's own film division, Kadokawa Pictures
Kadokawa Daiei Studio Co., Ltd., formerly is the film production division of the Japanese company the Kadokawa Corporation.
History
In 1945, Genyoshi Kadokawa established Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., focusing on the publishing business. ...
, to form Kadokawa-Daiei Film Co. Ltd. In 2004, it dropped the name Daiei and is now known simply as Kadokowa Pictures.
Filmography
* List of Daiei films
Anime productions
* '' Gaki Deka''s OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...
(1989)
* ''La Blue Girl
is an erotic anime and manga series by Toshio Maeda. Like Maeda's other hentai series (''e.g.'', '' Urotsukidōji''), ''La Blue Girl'' features a large amount of tentacle rape. It departs somewhat from its predecessors, however, by light ...
'' (1989–1992)
* ''The Dark Myth'' (1990)
* ''Dark Warrior'' (1991)
* ''Makyu Senjo 2'' (1991)
* '' La Blue Girl EX'' (1994)
* ''Hokago no Shokuinshitsu'' (1994)
* ''Pom Poko'' (1994)
* ''Twin Dolls'' (1994)
* '' Venus 5'' (1994)
* '' Lesson XX'' (1995)
* ''Twin Angels'' (1995)
* ''The Adventures of Kotetsu'' (1996–1997)
* ''Pure Love'' (1998–1999)
* ''Terra Story'' (1998)
* ''Someday's Dreamers
is a Japanese manga series written by Norie Yamada and illustrated by Kumichi Yoshizuki. It was serialized in Fujimi Shobo's ''Comic Dragon'' magazine from May 2002 to January 2003 and was later collected in two bound volumes. In 2006, T ...
'' (2003)
See also
*Toho
is a Japanese entertainment company that primarily engages in producing and distributing films and exhibiting stage plays. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. ...
*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 ...
*Tsuburaya Productions
also abbreviated as is a Japanese special effects studio founded in 1963 by special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya and was run by his family, until October 2007, when the family sold the company to advertising agency TYO Inc. The studio is b ...
*Kadokawa Daiei Studio
Kadokawa Daiei Studio Co., Ltd., formerly is the film production division of the Japanese company the Kadokawa Corporation.
History
In 1945, Genyoshi Kadokawa established Kadokawa Shoten Publishing Co., focusing on the publishing business. ...
*Nikkatsu
is a Japanese film studio located in Bunkyō. The name ''Nikkatsu'' amalgamates the words Nippon Katsudō Shashin, literally "Japan Motion Pictures".
Shareholders are Nippon Television Holdings (35%) and SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (28.4%). ...
*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 ...
*Toei Company
, simply known as Toei Company or Toei, is a Japanese entertainment company. Headquartered in Ginza, Chūō, Tokyo, it is involved in film and television production, distribution, video game development, publishing, and ownership of 34 movi ...
References
External links
*
The Official Tsuburaya Productions Webpage
(English)
{{Authority control
*
1942 establishments in Japan
1971 disestablishments in Japan
Mass media companies established in 1942
Mass media companies disestablished in 1971
Japanese film studios
Former Kadokawa Corporation subsidiaries
Tokuma Shoten