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Movie Theatres in Japan
National Film Archive of Japan
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Today, most movie theaters in Japan are multiplexes, economically efficient facilities that fit many screens into one location. All but gone are the large, grand theaters of the days when movies were the king of entertainment and the small movie houses found in just about every city. Nearly 120 years have passed since Japan’s first permanent movie theater opened in Tokyo’s Asakusa district. How have the spaces for enjoying movies changed since then?
Through earthquakes, war, reconstruction, and economic prosperity, the mere act of "watching a movie in a theater" has evolved with the nation’s shifting social landscape. Changes in the ways people live their lives have also left their mark. This exhibition examines the "history of movie audiences" in Japan before the advent of the multiplex - from the birth of the Japan’s first theaters and the film industry’s development to the era of the "art house" - through cinema photographs, programs, magazines and books, and actual movie theater artifacts. It presents precious entertainment materials from the past to illustrate the relationship between movie theaters and audiences, using two major cities (Kawasaki and Kitakyushu) as examples. And it gives special attention to the transformation of movie theater architecture as well as film projection skills that are ordinarily behind the scenes.
More and more, online streaming is becoming the preferred way of enjoying movies. Meanwhile, the movie theater business faces difficult times amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In that context, this exhibition provides an excellent opportunity for becoming reacquainted with what it means for people to gather in movie theaters and for reassessing the power of film through the movie theater experience.
*Free admission on May 18th (Wed).
Venue: National Film Archive of Japan Gallery Room (7F)
Through earthquakes, war, reconstruction, and economic prosperity, the mere act of "watching a movie in a theater" has evolved with the nation’s shifting social landscape. Changes in the ways people live their lives have also left their mark. This exhibition examines the "history of movie audiences" in Japan before the advent of the multiplex - from the birth of the Japan’s first theaters and the film industry’s development to the era of the "art house" - through cinema photographs, programs, magazines and books, and actual movie theater artifacts. It presents precious entertainment materials from the past to illustrate the relationship between movie theaters and audiences, using two major cities (Kawasaki and Kitakyushu) as examples. And it gives special attention to the transformation of movie theater architecture as well as film projection skills that are ordinarily behind the scenes.
More and more, online streaming is becoming the preferred way of enjoying movies. Meanwhile, the movie theater business faces difficult times amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In that context, this exhibition provides an excellent opportunity for becoming reacquainted with what it means for people to gather in movie theaters and for reassessing the power of film through the movie theater experience.
*Free admission on May 18th (Wed).
Venue: National Film Archive of Japan Gallery Room (7F)
Schedule | Apr 12 (Tue) 2022-Jul 17 (Sun) 2022 Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Adults ¥250; University Students ¥130; Seniors 65 & Over, High School Students and Under, NFA Campus Members free. | ||||||
| Website | https://www.nfaj.go.jp/english/exhibition/movie-theatres-in-japan/ | ||||||
| Venue | National Film Archive of Japan https://www.nfaj.go.jp/english/ | ||||||
| Location | 3-7-6 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0031 | ||||||
| Access | 1 minute walk from exit 1 at Kyobashi Station on the Ginza line, 1 minute walk from exit A4 at Takaracho Station on the Toei Asakusa line, 5 minute walk from exit 7 at Ginza-itchome Station on the Yurakucho line. | ||||||
| Phone | 050-5541-8600 (Hello Dial) | ||||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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