What happened with Japanese cinema prior to 1950?

2 comments

1. Quick question, are you searching in Japanese?

   Because I found a list of all of Makino Shozo’s works http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/person/p0351340.htm

   But I was looking in Japanese.

2. During the war the Japanese film industry was enlisted to make propaganda films for the government. I do know that Eiji Tsuburaya, famous for his work on Godzilla and Ultraman, made a propaganda film about the bombing of Pearl Harbor that featured miniature effects so convincing that American military officials allegedly believed they were looking at real footage when they encountered it. Allegedly.

   Part of the reason that these may be difficult to find information on is that, in addition to the economy being in ruins in the immediate post-war period, the occupational government also had a very strict eye towards censorship and made sure to suppress anything that seemed too anti-American or pro-imperialism.

   I also expect that another reason is, as you alluded to, the war. Films weren’t seen as the cultural assets we take them to be today and often were stored in conditions that can only be described as ramshackle and slipshod, when they weren’t intentionally destroyed after they had their run. But then you add the fact that pretty much every major city (excepting Kyoto) was bombed by the Allies, and, well, I’m sure you can connect the dots.

   The US has a similar problem with the silent era—75% of silent films are estimated to have been lost through neglect or fires (nitrate film is well known for its flammable properties)…and that’s without shells falling from the sky.

   There’s also of course the bias in English language literature on film towards things that have received English releases. You won’t find much information on many of the Toho musicals that were coming out in the 60’s, but you’ll find plenty on Godzilla flicks and Kurosawa art films. So you may have more luck searching Japanese sources. But the record is probably spotty even still