Japan films feed movie boom
Japanese films are experiencing a revival in popularity with several blockbusters coming out in rapid succession and more movie theaters going up across the country.
The hits "Nana" and "Densha Otoko" ("Train Man") earned more than 3 billion yen each last year and this spring the number of movie screens across the country is expected to top 3,000.
"Japanese movies have been very favorably accepted" here, said Isao Muraoka, chairman of Motion Picture Producers' Association of Japan Inc., at a news conference to announce industry results for 2005.
Total revenue last year was slightly less than the year before at 198 billion yen, but Japanese films increased their share of the domestic market by 3.4 percentage points to regain the 40 percent level for the first time in eight years.
Except for Hayao Miyazaki's animation feature "Howl's Moving Castle," released two years ago, there have been no megahits that have hit the 10 billion yen mark.
But movies earning more than 1 billion yen, which puts them into the category of hits, increased about 30 percent, underscoring stable revenues for domestic films.
Behind this rise is an increase in the number of cinema complexes, many of which are put in new shopping centers. They are modern and attract more young people.
In 1960 -- a golden year for Japanese cinema -- there were nearly 7,500 theaters. However, the number of screens had decreased to 1,734 by 1993, the year the cinema complex was introduced to Japan.
Since then, the number of screens has been increasing.
"It is certain that the number of screens will reach 3,000 this month, the first time since 1970," Matsuoka said.
What is fueling the boom?
"The popularity of cinema complexes has coincided with the launching of movie productions by TV stations that face competition for audiences," said Yoshio Kakeo, director of the Kinema Junpo Film Institute. In addition, "Japanese films have become 'date movies' that young people seek out."
As a result, major film company Toho Co., active in tieups with TV broadcasters, focuses on making commercial hits. Nine of the top 10-earning movies last year were Toho films.
"Although Japanese movies were said to have done well, we were completely dependent on Toho," said Yusuke Okada, president of Toei Co., another major movie producer.
Cinema complexes are free to put films on in several theaters, but this is widening a revenue gap.
"Except for major cinema complexes, it is becoming difficult to get screens," Kakeo said.
Despite this, movie producers are sharply increasing production, firm in their belief that this is the age of Japanese movies.
Last year, 356 movies were released, up 15 percent from the year before, and this year, newcomers, including foreign movie distributors and advertising agencies, have also launched production.
"There are so many movies that it is giving rise to worries about where they should be shown. There may be companies that suffer losses the more they produce," noted Kazuo Kuroi, president of Kadokawa Herald Pictures Inc.
posted by YT at
11:53 pm
