Font size options
Increase or decrease the font size for this website by clicking on the 'A's.
Contrast options
Choose a color combination to give the most comfortable
contrast.
Looking ahead, the Japanese entertainment industry faces a crossroads. Demographics are the enemy: Japan is shrinking and aging. The domestic market that once sold millions of physical CDs is a ghost of itself.
Traditional Jidaigeki (period films) have given way to psychological thrillers and slice-of-life dramas. Furthermore, the V-Cinema (direct-to-video) market, dismissed as low rent, has become a breeding ground for talent. Director Takashi Miike, who has made over 100 films, famously shoots a feature film in three days on a budget of $200,000. His philosophy—"the restriction creates the style"—epitomizes the Japanese creator’s ability to turn scarcity into surrealism. Looking ahead, the Japanese entertainment industry faces a
The industry thrives on a "support" model where fans buy physical CDs to receive "handshake tickets," creating a symbiotic—and sometimes controversial—relationship between the performer and the audience. Traditional Jidaigeki (period films) have given way to