51³Ô¹ÏÍø

Tag - cinemas

 
Menu
Search
 
July 24, 2026
 

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access

CINEMAS

Film projectionist and collector Wang Chin-ting (left) watches as staff members from the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute transfer old film reels at his archive in Changhua County on May 29.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Jul 6, 2026
Taiwanese film hunters rescue aging reels from bygone era
Ranging from popular operas to romance dramas, the films resonated with many Taiwanese who had been educated during Japan¡¯s colonial rule and had limited Mandarin skills.
Cosm's large-screen theater in Dallas offers seating that includes high-top tables and booths designed to create a more social theater experience.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 25, 2026
Sony Pictures invests $100 million in giant-screen startup Cosm
Founded in 2020, Cosm serves food and offers seating that includes high-top tables and booths designed to create a more social theater experience.
India¡¯s film industry is pivoting from Hindi Bollywood to multilingual southern cinema that dominates box offices with folklore fantasy and regional hits.
COMMENTARY / World
Mar 23, 2026
Bollywood is no match for India¡¯s new wave cinema
This is the new, multilingual Bollywood, and its main offering is fresh stories, set in new cinematic universes.
Directed by Michael Arias at Studio 4¡ãC, ¡°Tekkonkinkreet¡± will be screened in Japanese cinemas for two weeks to celebrate its 20th anniversary.
CULTURE / Film
Mar 13, 2026
Anime revival screenings are having a moment
With anime fans flocking to theaters to revisit classics like ¡°Tekkonkinkreet,¡± ¡°Jin-roh¡± and ¡°Macross Plus,¡± nostalgia is proving good business.
CineMalice is set to open Dec. 19 in Jimbocho, the bookstore-laden enclave recently dubbed the world's coolest neighborhood by Time Out.
CULTURE / Film
Dec 11, 2025
A movie buff in Jimbocho bets on independent cinema in a big way
In the book-filled Tokyo neighborhood, a new mini-theater hopes to introduce you to films you never knew you¡¯d love.
Currently, operators of theaters and music halls can get a one-third reduction in the fixed property and city planning taxes if they carry out barrier-free renovations that meet government standards.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Aug 14, 2025
Japan eyes tax relief for barrier-free movie theaters
The initiative aims to help people enjoy cultural and artistic activities regardless of their disability.
Before multiplexes entered the Japanese theatrical market in the early 1990s, moviegoers frequented ¡°roadside theaters¡± ¡ª cinemas located in central urban areas near train lines. The Marunouchi Toei, which will close July 27, is the last of such theaters in Tokyo.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 24, 2025
Marunouchi Toei closes as Japan¡¯s cinema landscape evolves
As audiences gravitate toward the luxury, tech and varied lineups of multiplexes, Tokyo¡¯s last ¡°roadside theater¡± closes after 65 years, marking the end of an era in moviegoing.
¡°The Elephant Man¡± and ¡°Twin Peaks¡± director David Lynch became a favorite among Japanese moviegoers who flocked to new arthouse cinemas (known as ¡°mini theaters¡±) popping up around the country in the 1980s and ¡¯90s.
CULTURE / TV & Streaming
Jan 23, 2025
How ¡®Twin Peaks¡¯ turned David Lynch into Japan¡¯s favorite weirdo
The director¡¯s work thrived in the early days of arthouse ¡°mini theaters,¡± and cherry pies and canned coffee fueled the nation¡¯s ¡°Twin Peaks¡± mania.
Even with the success of "Crazy Rich Asians" and improvements in on-screen representation, Asian actors still comprise just 18.4% of film roles, which is an improvement compared to 3.4% in 2007.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 9, 2024
To win back audiences, put more Asians behind the camera
The movie industry is losing out at a time when it can ill-afford to do so. Betting on Asian talent would help.
Renegade director Koji Wakamatsu (Arata Iura, right) heads to Nagoya in the early 1980s to open his own cinema in ¡°Hijacked Youth Dare to Stop Us 2.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Apr 4, 2024
¡®Hijacked Youth Dare to Stop Us 2¡¯ captures origins of indie theater boom
Junji Inoue¡¯s semi-autobiographical film is a love letter to independent cinemas ¡ª and their fans.
The Royal Theater in the city of Gifu screens 35-millimeter films.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / Society / Regional voices: Chubu
Dec 18, 2023
Mini-theater showing 35mm films is struggling to survive
Massive amounts of funds are needed to renovate the aged facility and people involved in the theater are seeking ways to keep the place alive.
Filmmaker Kah Wai Lim (left) interviews the owners of 22 independent cinemas across Japan about the difficulties and joys of running a ¡°mini-theater¡± in ¡°This Magic Moment.¡±
CULTURE / Film
Dec 7, 2023
¡®This Magic Moment¡¯: Mini-theaters keep indie cinema love alive
Kah Wai Lim highlights the resilient determination of small theater owners across the country who keep their businesses afloat against the odds.
From convenience stores and pizza franchises to makers of mattresses and whisky, businesses are looking to cash in on the popularity of "Godzilla Minus One."
CULTURE / Entertainment news
Nov 8, 2023
Latest Godzilla movie is a beast at the Japan box office
Boosted by mammoth marketing campaign, ¡°Godzilla Minus One¡± racks up over ?1 billion in opening weekend.
Cinema staff prepare servings of popcorn during an "all you can eat popcorn for 199 baht" campaign in front of a cinema inside a department store in Bangkok in November 2022.
BUSINESS
Sep 21, 2023
Southeast Asia cinema chains thrive as other markets struggle
Local box office records are being set, filmmaking grants are being unveiled and large cinema chains are shifting into expansion mode.
A promotional poster for the film "Barbie" in Tokyo earlier this month
CULTURE
Aug 12, 2023
Hollywood blockbuster ¡®Barbie¡¯ opens in Japan after controversy
Tickets sold fast in Japan as fans flocked to the theatrical release, timed to coincide with the start of the Bon holiday period.
A cinema employee checks on a display showing a digital poster for Oscar-winning animator Hayao Miyazaki's latest film, "The Boy and the Heron," on the first day of its premiere in Tokyo on July 14.
CULTURE / Film
Jul 21, 2023
For his last movie, Hayao Miyazaki recycles himself
While visually and technically stunning, ¡°The Boy and the Heron¡± might give some viewers an unsatisfying sense of deja vu.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jul 19, 2023
¡®The Boy and the Heron¡¯ sets new high for Ghibli film in first four days
According to the film¡¯s distributor, Toho, ¡°The Boy and the Heron¡± grossed over ?2.14 billion in the first four days following its release.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 23, 2023
Why are Hollywood films falling out of favor in Japan?
American films used to dominate the box office in Japan, but over the past 20 years Hollywood¡¯s share has slowly shrunk.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Apr 11, 2023
Seoul theater chain swaps screens for climbing walls to lure young Koreans
South Korea¡¯s largest multiplex movie chain operator started installing climbing walls in 2021 in one of its multiplexes, demolishing two movie screens to make way for the walls.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Nov 25, 2022
Kah Wai Lim¡¯s ode to Japanese mini-theaters gets meta
The director¡¯s new film, ¡®Your Lovely Smile,¡¯ is a love letter to indie cinema that doubles as a plea for help to keep struggling theaters open.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Low-income families in Japan cut food and air conditioning during summer break
Yumiko Watanabe, the chairperson of nonprofit Kidsdoor, explains the results of a survey in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on July 1.
Iran strikes on CIA facilities prompt questions about possible Russian role
Iranian drones are displayed in an undisclosed location in Iran, in this handout image obtained on Jan. 13, 2025.U.S. officials have acknowledged that Russia has ?provided targeting ?and other support for Iran in its drone strikes on U.S. targets in the Persian Gulf region.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE 51³Ô¹ÏÍø

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER