Toho

Toho Co., Ltd. (æ±å®æ ªå¼ä¼šç¤¾, TÅhÅ Kabushiki-Gaisha, TYO: 9602/JASDAQ: 9602) is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It has its headquarters in YÅ«rakuchÅ, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside Japan, it is best known as the producer and distributor of many kaiju and tokusatsu films, the Chouseishin tokusatsu superhero television franchise, the films of Akira Kurosawa, and the anime films of Studio Ghibli. Other famous directors, including YasujirÅ Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Masaki Kobayashi, and Mikio Naruse, also directed films for Toho.

Toho's most famous creation is Godzilla, who features in 29 of the company's films. Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, and Rodan are described as Toho's Big Five because of the monsters' numerous appearances in all three eras of the franchise, as well as spin-offs. Toho has also been involved in the production of numerous anime titles. Its subdivisions are Toho Pictures Incorporated, Toho International Company Limited, Toho E. B. Company Limited, and Toho Music Corporation & Toho Costume Company Limited. The company is the largest shareholder (7.96%) of Fuji Media Holdings Inc.

History

Toho was created by the founder of Hankyu Railway, Ichizo Kobayashi, in 1932 as the Tokyo-Takarazuka Theater Company (æ±äº¬å®å¡šåŠ‡å ´æ ªå¼ä¼šç¤¾, TÅkyÅ Takarazuka GekijÅ Kabushiki-Gaisha). It managed much of the kabuki in Tokyo and, among other properties, the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater and the Imperial Garden Theater in Tokyo; Toho and Shochiku enjoyed a duopoly over theaters in Tokyo for many years.

After several successful film exports to the United States during the 1950s through Henry G. Saperstein, Toho opened the La Brea Theatre in Los Angeles to show its own films without the need to sell them to a distributor. It was known as the Toho Theatre from the late 1960s until the 1970s. Toho also had a theater in San Francisco and opened a theater in New York in 1963.

The Shintoho Company, which existed until 1964, was named New Toho because it broke off from the original company.

The company has contributed to the production of some American films, including Sam Raimi's A Simple Plan.

Major productions and distributions

Film

1930s

Three Sisters with Maiden Hearts (1935)
Enoken's Ten Millions (1936)
Enoken's Ten Millions sequel (1936)
Tokyo Rhapsody (1936)
Humanity and paper balloons (1937)
Avalanche (1937)
A Husband Chastity (1937)
Tojuro's Love (1938)
Enoken's Shrewd Period (1939)
Chushingura I (1939)
Chushingura II (1939)

1940s

Song of Kunya (1940)
Enoken Has His Hair Cropped (1940)
Songoku: Monkey Sun (1940)
Hideko the Bus-Conductor (1941)
Uma (1941)
The War at sea from Hawaii to Malay (1942)
Sanshiro Sugata (1943)
The Most Beautiful (1944)
Sanshiro Sugata Part II (1945)
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1945)
No Regrets for Our Youth (1946)
Those Who Make Tomorrow (1946)
One Wonderful Sunday (1947)
Drunken Angel (1948)
Stray Dog (1949)

1950s

The Lady of Musashino (1951)
Repast (1951)
Ikiru (1952)
Seven Samurai (1954)
Godzilla (1954)
Tomei ningen (1954)
Sound of the Mountain (1954)
Late Chrysanthemums (1954)
Floating Clouds (1955)
Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
Half Human (1955)
I Live in Fear (1955)
Sudden Rain (1956)
A Wife's Heart (1956)
Vampire Moth (1956)
Sazae-san (1956)
Flowing (1956)
Rodan (1956)
Untamed (1957)
The Mysterians (1957)
Throne of Blood (1957)
Ikiteiru koheiji (1957)
The Lower Depths (1957)
The H-Man (1958)
The Hidden Fortress (1958)
Shirasagi (1958)
Varan (1958)
Battle in Outer Space (1959)
The Birth of Japan (1959)

1960s

The Secret of the Telegian
The Human Vapor
The Bad Sleep Well (1960)
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960)
Hawai Middouei daikaikusen: Taiheiyo no arashi (Hawaii-Midway Battle of the Sea and Sky: Storm in the Pacific Ocean) also as Storm Over the Pacific (1960)
Autumn Has Already Started (1960)
I Bombed Pearl Harbor (1961)
Mothra (1961)
Yojimbo (1961)
The Last War (1961)
The End of Summer (1961)
Sanjuro (1962)
Gorath (1962)
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
Rorentsu oÂ· Ruisu no shÅgai (1962)
A Wanderer's Notebook (1962)
Pitfall (1962)
High and Low (1963)
Matango (1963)
Atragon (1963)
Yearning (1964)
Woman in the Dunes (1964)
Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
Dogora (1964)
Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kayaku no taru (1964)
Kwaidan (1964)
Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi (1965) (this and the above film spliced together to form What's Up, Tiger Lily?)
Tokyo Olympiad (1965)
Red Beard (1965)
Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965)
Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
We Will Remember (1965â€"66)
The Face of Another (1966)
War of the Gargantuas (1966)
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966)
Samurai Rebellion (1967)
Son of Godzilla (1967)
King Kong Escapes (1967)
Destroy All Monsters (1968)
Latitude Zero (1969)
All Monsters Attack (1969)

1970s

Space Amoeba (1970)
Dodes'ka-den (1970)
The Vampire Doll (1970)
To Love Again (1971)
Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)
The Battle of Okinawa (1971)
Daigoro vs. Goliath (1971)
Lake of Dracula (1971)
Young Guy vs. Blue Guy (1971)
Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)
Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
Kure Kure Takora (1973)
Japan Sinks (1973)
Lady Snowblood (1973)
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
Prophecies of Nostradamus (1974)
Evil of Dracula (1974)
Lupin III (1974)
Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
Demon Spies (1975)
Zero Fighter (1976)
The Inugamis (1976)
House (1977)
The War in Space (1977)

1980s

Doraemon: The Motion Picture and sequels (1980)
Kagemusha (1980)
The Wizard of Oz (1982)
Techno Police 21C (1982)
The Highest Honor (1982)
Golgo 13 (1983)
The Makioka Sisters (1983)
Macross: Do You Remember Love? (1984)
Urusei Yatsura: Beautiful Dreamer (1984)
The Return of Godzilla (1984)
Ran (1985)
Vampire Hunter D (1985)
Prussian blue Portrait (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988, co-production with Studio Ghibli)
Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day (1988)
Akira (1988)
My Neighbor Totoro (1988, co-production with Studio Ghibli)
Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)
Sweet Home (1989)

1990s

Devil Hunter Yohko (1990)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)
Porco Rosso (1992)
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)
GakkÅ no Kaidan (1995)
Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995)
GakkÅ no Kaidan 2 (1996)
Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996)
New Kimagure Orange Road: And Then, The Beginning of That Summer (1996)
Rebirth of Mothra (1996)
GakkÅ no Kaidan 3 (1997)
Case Closed: The Time Bombed Skyscraper (1997)
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Rebirth of Mothra II (1997)
Rebirth of Mothra III (1998)
Case Closed: The Fourteenth Target (1998)
Godzilla (1998)
Ring (1998)
Pocket Monsters: Mewtwo's Counterattack (1998)
Case Closed: The Last Wizard of the Century (1999)
GakkÅ no Kaidan 4 (1999)
Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris (1999)
Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999)
Pocket Monsters the Phantom PokÃ©mon, Explosive Birth of Lugia (1999)

2000s

Pocket Monsters: Lord of the Unknown Tower â€" Entei (2000)
Case Closed: Captured in Her Eyes (2000)
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000)
Case Closed: Countdown to Heaven (2001)
Metropolis (2001)
Merdeka 17805 (2001), co-production with Rapi Films from Indonesia)
Kairo (2001)
Spirited Away (2001), co-production with Studio Ghibli)
Inuyasha films (2001â€"2004), co-productions with Sunrise
Pocket Monsters Celebi, the Meeting that Transversed Time (2001)
Beyblade: Bakuten Shoot Beyblade The Movie: Gekitou!! Takao vs. Daichi (2002) (producer)
Hamtaro film #1: Adventures in Ham-Ham Land (2001) (distributor)
Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)
Case Closed: The Phantom of Baker Street (2002)
Pocket Monsters The Guardian of the Water Capital Latias and Latios (2002)
Hamtaro film #2: Princess of Vision (2002) (distributor)
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)
One Missed Call (2003)
Hamtaro film #3: Ham-Ham Grand Prix (2003) (distributor)
Godzilla, Mothra, Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S (2003)
Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation The Wishing Star of the Seven Nights Jirachi (2003)
Howl's Moving Castle (2004), coproduction with Studio Ghibli)
Naruto the Movie (2004)
Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)
Steamboy (2004)
Hamtaro film #4: Hamtaro and the Mysterious Ogre's Picture Book Tower (2004) (distributor)
Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation The Visitor from a Fissure in the Sky Deoxys (2004)
Lolerei (2005)
Always SanchÅme no YÅ«hi (2005)
Naruto the Movie 2 (2005)
Densha Otoko (2005)
NANA (2005)
Arashi no Yoru ni (2005)
Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation Mew and the Wave-Guiding Hero Lucario (2005)
Bleach: Memories of Nobody (2006)
DÅbutsu no Mori (2006), co-production with O.L.M., Nintendo, and Shogakukan
Nada Sousou (2006)
NANA2 (2006)
Nihon Chinbotsu (Japan Sinks) (2006)
Pocket Monsters Advanced Generation PokÃ©mon Ranger and the Prince of the Sea Manaphy (2006)
Rough (2006)
Touch film (2006)
Always zoku san-chome no yuhi (2007)
Eiga De Tojo-Tamagotchi: Dokidoki! Uchuu no Maigotchi!? (2007)
HERO (2007)
Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl Dialga VS Palkia VS Darkrai (2007)
Pocket Monsters Diamond and Pearl Giratina and the Bouquet of the Sky: Shaymin (2008)
Hana Yori Dango Final (2008)
Ponyo on the Cliff (2008)
I Survived a Japanese Game Show (2008)
Mystery of the Third Planet (2008)
Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl the Movie: Arceus: To the Conquering of Space-Time (2009)
Boku no Hatsukoi wo Kimi ni Sasagu (2009)
UchÅ« Senkan Yamato: Fukkatsu hen (2009)
Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva (2009)
The Secret of Kells (2009) Japanese distribution only, produced by Cartoon Saloon, Celluloid Dreams, France 2 CinÃ©ma and Canal +

2010s

Winx Club 3D: Magical Adventure (2010)
Space Battleship Yamato (2010)
Pocket Monsters Diamond & Pearl the Movie: Phantom Ruler: Zoroark (2010)
Pocket Monsters Best Wishes! The Movie: Victini and the White Hero: Reshiram (2011)
Pocket Monsters Best Wishes! The Movie: Victini and the Black Hero: Zekrom (2011)
Genji Monogatari: Sennen no Nazo (2011)
HankyÅ« Densha (2011)
Gyakuten Saiban (2012)
Kyurem vs. the Sacred Swordsman: Keldeo (2012)
The Wolf Children Ame and Yuki (2012)
Jewelpet the Movie: Sweets Dance Princess (2012)
The Wind Rises (2013)
A Bolt from the Blue (2014)
When Marnie Was There (2014)
Godzilla (2014)
A Samurai Chronicle (2014)
Parasyte: Part 1 (2014)
The Last: Naruto the Movie (2014)
Blue Spring Ride (2014)
The Vancouver Asahi (2014)
Yo-Kai Watch the Movie: The Secret is Created, Nyan! (2014)
Parasyte: Part 2 (2015)
Attack on Titan (2015)

Television

Tokusatsu

Ike! Godman (1972)
Warrior Of Love: Rainbowman (1972)
Meteor Man Zone (1973)
Ike! Greenman (1973)
Warrior Of Light: Diamond Eye (1973)
Flying Saucer War Bankid (1976)
Megaloman (1979)
Electronic Brain Police Cybercop (1988)
Seven Stars Fighting God Guyferd (1996)
Godzilla Island (1997)
Chouseishin Gransazer (2003)
Genseishin Justirisers (2004)
Chousei Kantai Sazer-X (2005)
Kawaii! Jenny (2007)

Anime TV series

Belle and Sebastian (1981)
Igano Kabamaru (1983)
Touch (1985)
Kimagure Orange Road (1987)
Godzilla (1998) (co-production)
Midori Days (co-production) (2004)
Gundam Reconguista in G (2014)

In more recent years and for a period, they have produced video games. One of their first video games was the 1990 NES game titled Circus Caper. Later, they followed with a series of games based on Godzilla and a 1992 game called Serizawa Nobuo no Birdy Try. It also published games such as Super Aleste. They even worked with Bandai on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, released in Japan in 1988 and in the United States in 1989.

Headquarters

Toho's headquarters, the Toho Hibiya Building (æ±å®æ—¥æ¯"è°·ãƒ"ãƒ«, TÅhÅ Hibiya Biru), are in YÅ«rakuchÅ, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company moved into its current headquarters in April 2005.

Sunday, February 1, 2015