The Tsunami of the Pandemic in the Context of Japanese Cinema

The Covid-19 pandemic severely affected the film industry in Japan, leading to both negative and positive consequences. The emergency immediately forced authors and producers to find useful alternatives on several fronts to return to previous modes. One of the main problems, as we shall see, involved small cinemas (so-called mini-theaters) in large urban centers. Between February and March 2020, restrictions imposed on cultural events intensified in Japan, culminating in April in an approximately two-month lockdown on public screenings, without, however, a clear government support plan. Fortunately, the lockdown and temporary closures of small theaters gave way to various alternative solutions, such as online screening channels and the revival of drive-ins. However, the most interesting phenomenon was the intensification of film productions, many of which were initiated by the mini-theater operators themselves, including various experimental operations — facilitated, for example, by the more widespread use of new digital technologies — undertaken to protect auteur cinema. These initiatives were complemented by a range of mobilizations among film industry players to ensure production continuity for national works, particularly in the form of successful fundraising or public awareness campaigns. In the unstoppable Japanese film production of the very last few years — with an average of 600 productions per year — a portion of films have centered on events specifically related to the pandemic, depicting the country’s new sociological context. Moreover, in the midst of the emergency there have been almost unprecedented box-office successes, and overall the Japanese the film market has recovered at a faster pace than in the West, demonstrating that cinema remains one of the most vibrant arts in the archipelago.