Shochiku

Founded in 1895 as a manager of kabuki theaters in Kyoto, Shochiku Co., Ltd. evolved into Japan's oldest surviving major film studio. The company expanded its reach in 1914 by acquiring the Kabuki-za theater in Tokyo and officially entered motion picture production in 1920 with the Kamata Film Studio. Today, it stands as a pillar of the Japanese entertainment industry and a member of the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. Shochiku maintains a diverse portfolio that includes live-action dramas and anime films, often serving as the primary distributor for works produced by Sunrise. The studio is famous for nurturing distinct voices in cinema history. Directors like Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, and Mikio Naruse defined the golden age of Japanese film under its banner. Later generations of filmmakers also found homes there, including Takashi Miike, Takeshi Kitano, Akira Kurosawa, and Hou Hsiao-hsien.[edit]