Running head: THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE ANIME FILMS 1
The History of Anime Films in Japan
FMS 200 - Film and Media History
ASU
THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE ANIME FILMS 2
Abstract
The paper discusses the history of Japanese anime, an art that has revolutionized the
Japanese visual culture. It states that the many decades ago, the Japanese anime did not exist and
it took a number of revolutionaries such as Yamaguchi Yasuo time to introduce the art. The
paper introduces what anime is by stating that anime is a type of animation which originated
from Japan which is characterized by colorful and stark graphics that depict vibrant characters in
plots that are filled with action often based on futuristic or fantastic themes. The history of
Japanese animation is traced back to 1917 when it was still on the trial and error stages when the
technique was purely cutout and drawings. These techniques were based on American and
France animated shorts. The paper further states that the popularization of these anime in Japan
was due to its production for publicity campaigns as well as public relations while domestic
commercialization and production were catalyzed by the Kanto earthquake in Tokyo in the year
1923.
However, the paper states that the industry has struggled because of the problems such as
the lack of innovation in the country at the time especially in the years between 1929 and 1960s.
It was during then the anime artists such as Ofuji Noburo emerged and won several popular
awards. His success paves day for other artists including officers from the navy who contributed
heavily to the industry. However, the paper notes that the animated films produced at the time
were only for military purpose where services men watched them for morale boosting. Public
consumption of anime became possible with the launch of the “Momotaro: Umi no Shinpei” film
which was produced by the navy and which the public watched towards the end of the war. Soon
after, the animations became a commercialized activity with the main purpose of praising
democracy after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The films soon began to be produced by independent companies and artists targeting
various themes in the country. The production of modern colored anime films in Japan began
when its president Okawa Hiroshi saw the Snow White, a film from Disney which motivated him
to create colored anime films studio in 1956 leading to the creation of the famous “Disney of the
east.” Further developments in the industry were fostered by the president’s initiative to send
experts to learn more about the industry in the USA which later paved way for the creation of an
assembly line production system for the Disney which modernized anime production in the
THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE ANIME FILMS 3
country. The industry was able to employ many unemployed people especially after the war as
well as the creation of anime festivals such as the Manga festival as will and the various studios
in the country. Over the years, the industry has revolutionized and anime films cover various
themes such as science fiction, and space matters. Many things changed over the years, at some
point, anime was disbanded in the and later, it reappeared covering children as the main
audiences around the 1970s. However, globalization led to the production of anime covering all
audiences in the 1990s. Changes in the economy among other factors affected anime production
in the country. The paper concludes the Japanese anime has revolutionized over time and it is the
biggest source of revenue in the country despite the struggles it’s still going through.
THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE ANIME FILMS 4
Introduction
The history of anime in Japan began in 1917, a formative year when anime production
was based on the cutout and drawing trial and error techniques. It explains some of the legendary
artists in the country are a famous anime artist called Yamaguchi Yasuo who created the first
anime films (Beck, 2014). During these formative years, anime industry struggled since most of
the films were made in imitation of western films from France and the U.S. The introduction of
the “Manga films” in the country marked the beginning of the first high-quality films. Despite its
quality, most of these manga films were faced by stiff competition from the Disney films
increasing the struggle for the anime industry.
Over the years, the anime industry in the country has undergone tremendous changes and
with the increase in the adoption of new technologies in the field of film production, Japanese
anime has become better and advance that it was before. Currently, they cover numerous themes
in society. Some of the key aspects that define the advancement in the anime are that the early
anime was made of paper cut into graphical motion pictures. The modern anime has been added
sound and color in its production and the cell animation and the systems such as the multiplane
camera systems have made them match the modern animation produced by international
companies such as Disney. This paper discusses the history of anime in Japan since its formative
years and the various revolutions to the modern age.
The Formative years (1910-1920)
The anime production in Japan went through a rough age before the WWII. The period
after 1910 was a period most of the scholars call the “age of silent” films. These silent films were
characterized by the trial and error cutout and drawing techniques of animation production.
These types of production were based on the United States as well as French animated shorts.
Koide (2014) asserts that despite the struggles that the anime film industry went through in the
country between 1917 and 1930s, the major thing that created its niche in the country was its
production for publicity purposes as well as for the public relations. The production for publicity
purposes was one of the primary ways that led to the commercialization of the films in the
country. In this method, anime was produced for the purposes of entertaining the public as well
as creating money.
THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE ANIME FILMS 5
In conjunction with the issue of publicity, it was during this period that the issue of
“manga film” quality was talked about extensively. When compared to the anime, the manga had
a better quality. The quality of anime was quite low compared to the western types of animations
due to the fact that the production of the anime was much costly compared to the western
animations. Due to this issue of quality, the Disney animation films overshadowed them
intensifying the stiffness of the competition.
The Period of the Great Kanto Earthquake (1920-1928)
The other stride made by the anime industry was the production of anime for domestic
purposes around 1923; however, this was negatively impacted by the earthquake called the Great
Kanto which forced the industry to start from scratch again (Beck, 2013). During this period, the
production of anime was beginning to find a niche in the localities in Japan. People had seen the
impact of the animations to the people who watched them and decided to use it in the promotion
of business and other aspects. In regard to this, it can be said that the anime took a new turn
taking the role of advertising. For instance, in the domestic market in the country, it was used for
public relations campaigns. However, Beck (2013) asserts that everything was destabilized by
the earthquake that shook the country distorting its economy. Most of the advances and
technologies that had been created for the purposes of improving the production of anime was set
back. Therefore, the anime industry in the country was forced to start again from scratch. It took
the advancements that had been achieved in the production back to the way it was in the
formative years starting 1917. This evidence, thus, shows how natural calamities have affected
the anime productions in Japan unlike what other countries such as France that its production of
cartoon character films has never experienced.
The years after the Great Kanto earthquake were characterized by sequential and fast
improvement in innovation and technology in the world. MacWilliams (2014) articulates that in
Japan, given the aftermath of the earthquake was undergoing a reconstruction period which made
it hard to cope with the fast changes in innovation and technology. Other countries such as the
USA and France were coping and adopting the new technology which fastened the pace of
production and quality of animation films. MacWilliams (2014) add that in Japan, the industry,
despite its inability to meet the needs of the successive innovations during the 1930s, made
tremendous improvements in anime production. This was made possible by the famous and
THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE ANIME FILMS 6
talented artists such as Ofujio Noburo who created the first color anime film by cutting the
colored Japanese papers and pasting it into a surface creating a colored film. This was unlike
other technologies that seemed more advanced in other parts of the world such as the appearance
of films such as the talkies and the colored films that emerged between 1929 and 1932.
Ofujio Noburo’s films marked a period of significant improvements in the anime
production in the country given the challenges it was facing. MacWilliams, (2014) states that the
reason why this period was so important in the industry was that some of the best Japanese
anime producers won international wards beating some of the world’s renown producers of the
time. One of such producers is Ofuji Noburo who won the first anime international award since
his productions were unique such that it was appreciated even outside of Japan. Therefore, this
period made significant changes to the perception of Japanese film production companies across
the world.
The Period before World War II (1929-1944)
The influence of the anime films in the country intensified in the 1930s as it took the
center stage in the country’s entertainment sector. It gained a lot of praise from people and most
of it was used for entertaining as well as educating the masses. The anime production, however,
turned militaristic in the late 1930s which made its production slow down because materials for
film production became scarce (Miyao, 2012). The military seized most of the production
companies in the country and took over its operations. The production materials also became
scarce since the mood of war was approaching and no one could concentrate on the production of
anything useful. It was during this militaristic period that the first film that had a characteristic of
a full-length film was produced by the Japanese navy. The film had a propaganda characteristic
since it was produced in the bid to praise the Japanese army and boast its achievements during
the war. Miyao (2012) assert that at the end of the war, however, things changed since films on
democracy were produced and independent producers emerged. The stability was regaining and
the availability of materials in the country was on the track. Also, film companies that produced
a mass of anime films emerged that further impacted the film production in the country. Some of
these companies include the Shin Nihon Dogasha which produced hundreds of films in the
country after the war.
THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE ANIME FILMS 7
Anime in Post-WWII Japan (1945-1960s)
The period after World War II marked a new phase in the production of anime in Japan.
In the 1950s, the productions mimicked more of the western animation films which created a
new competition for the western films. Raffaelli (2017) asserts that the Disney animations
impacted the anime production in Japan as the president was motivated by them to create the first
studio in the country that led to mass production of anime films. The studio created by president
made some of the most advanced films ever seen in the country. The studio was called the Toei
film company creating the Disney of the East. This period marked a serious attempt in the
country to improve the production of anime at a world-class level. Therefore, to achieve this, the
president through the new company decided to send a new team of researchers to France and the
United States of America among other experts for bench make. They were invited into the
Disney studios where they were taught a number of things about its systems and the production
of animated films. Thereafter, the company hired new employees whom under the surveillance
and the help of the veteran filmmakers produced some of the most excellent films in the country.
The postwar Japan was marred with a lot of problems such as lack jobs among other
problems. However, the creation of the Toei Doga studios and its ability to employ new
employees created jobs in the country. Also, the television industry flourished during the 1960s
leading to the creation of anime film programs on television. Napier (2016) affirms that the first
anime television series appeared in the country in 1963 with fees paid to the studios creating
revenue for the industry. As a result, the commercialization of the anime films intensified and
more jobs were created. Many other companies appeared during the late 1960s creating more
jobs by employing young youth who were willing to start at lower salaries. However, as
production increased, companies were able to increase the workers’ salaries. Some of the factors
that propelled this effect are the establishment of the manga festival that attracted thousands of
people from across Japan. Napier (2016) adds that this growth also led to the emergence of the
issue of copyright, sponsorship among other factors such as censorship emerged.
The establishment of new film companies in the country and the generation of new ideas
in the film production industry in the country brought about new perspectives in film production.
Lee (2011) claims that this, coupled with the merchandising and commercialization of anime
films and the growth of television series programs, led to the creation of anime genres such as
THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE ANIME FILMS 8
science fiction, space anime films among other popular thematic films (Lee, 2011). There was a
need to distinguish the anime films from other types of films in the society for commercial
purposes. Also, it was a result of the need to create market niches and reduce the problem of
redundancy in film production. Lees (2011) also states that the classification of the films in Japan
was because the audiences were diverse and they had preferences in regard to watching the film.
Therefore, there was a need to create other genres to meet their needs. Manga and the anime
were the majority of the films and there was a need to diversify the productions to cover other
aspects of the society it did not cover.
The Recession period (the 1970s - late 1980s)
There are various factors evident throughout the history of Japan that impacted the anime
industry as well as other industries. Matters that affected its economy directly affected the film
production companies since they directly depended on the country’s economy. Ito (2010)
proclaims that the bleak years between the 1970s and late 1980s when the country plunged into
recession impacted the anime industry negatively. During this period in Japan, there was an
increase in unemployment which means the majority of the people had no income. As a result,
spending went down and people did not buy the anime films as expected. The companies made a
lot of losses during this period which had to lay off most of its employees. For that reason, Ito
(2010) adds that other forms of economic sources of income replaced anime jobs which include
children’s shows. As a way of responding to the effects of the recession, the president took the
step of offsetting the company’s losses through the incomes from copyright. When this did not
work, he further took another step of investing his money into the company from the publishing
od manga which revived the industry once again.
Anime in the 1990s
Throughout the history of anime, numerous trends across the industry brought it a lot of
success. Olivier (2016) explains that during the early 1990s to date, Disney films among other
western films and the new technology coupled with revolutions in media and digital issues,
anime have become famous attracting all sorts of audiences apart from children. Disney films
modernized the anime production through the provision of technical knowledge to the Japanese
experts, which as a result created a more modernized anime industry. The revolutions and the
new technology also played a key role in allowing the Japanese companies to produce advanced
THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE ANIME FILMS 9
colored anime that replaced the drawing and paper cutout anime seen in the formative years.
Throughout the 1990s, the companies strived to take the anime to a next level with the aim of
covering various themes that did not only interest the domestic but also the global audience.
With its unique nature, anime gained tremendous praise across the globe featuring in many
theaters in countries such as the United States of America where Disney had taken over. It
proved to the country that a revolution had favored its productions. It is part of the reason that
anime films are embraced across the world today.
The modern Japanese Anime (2000-2018)
The modern Japan anime has gone through a major improvement in the past ten years.
Throughout the world, its effects can be felt since it has created a new generation of fans
throughout many countries. However, the journey has never been easy for the anime companies.
It has faced a lot of criticism due to the cultural diversity among the various cultures of the
world. Some parts of its audiences especially the adults have come out strongly to claim that
most of these anime are sexually explicit and it covers and promotes themes of violence. Another
claim is that they are cheap when compared to other films from Disney and other companies
from France. Importantly, what is more important for this industry is the fact that amid the
criticism, it has created a wide base of fans from across the globe who embrace it and who
support it by buying them. Its fan base is characterized by a large number of young people which
makes up the larger segment of the world’s population. This creates a strategic pool of audience
that is enough to propel its economy.
Conclusion
The Japanese anime industry has undergone a lot of changes and it is due to the various
revolutions and new technology in the modern world and in the future, the industry will grow to
encompass a global audience that will lead to further improvements. The industry started from
bleak past and over the years, tremendous changes have occurred. The beginning of the industry
was marked by uncertainty, barriers such as lack of resources and the fast pace of innovation that
made it hard for the industry to cope. For instance, the industry has picked up well in the 1920s
but the Great Kanto earthquakes created more problems as it destabilized its economy.
Immediately after the earthquake, everything seemed to pick up and many achievements were
made in the industry including the creation of new colored anime films and further advancements
THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE ANIME FILMS 10
in the production of manga films. The militarization period before the war created another
setback in the country as peoples’ attention shifted towards the war. Materials for the production
of anime became scarce and the military took over the industry. The military used it for the
production of propagandist films that praised their prowess in the war.
Nevertheless, changes occurred after World War II that changed the nature of the anime
industry. The country’s economy improved after the war and the president took the initiative to
improve the industry with the help of Disney. Other changes that affected the industry include
the recession that led to intensive unemployment in the country leading to increasing
diversification in film genres and themes in the country to meet the market changes and the
audiences’ taste in the country. However, after the recession, globalization and modernization
revolutionized the industry to a modern and worldwide accepted industry. The contemporary
anime films, despite the various criticisms, has gained a lot of fame, sales and fans across the
world due to its unique nature and the unique tastes of its audiences. It is projected that the future
of anime will be successful considering the intensive adoption of new technology in the country.
THE HISTORY OF JAPANESE ANIME FILMS 11
References
Beck, J. (Ed.). (2013). Animation art: from pencil to pixel, the history of cartoon, anime & CGI.
Flame Tree.
Drazen, P. (2012). Anime Explosion! The What? Why? & Wow! of Japanese Animation.
Ito, K. (2010). A history of manga in the context of Japanese culture and society. The Journal of
Popular Culture, 38(3), 456-475.
Koide, M. (2014). On the Establishment and the History of the Japan Society for Animation
Studies. Japanese Animation: East Asian Perspectives, 1, 49.
Lee, H. K. (2011). Introduction: Animation industry at a crossroads. Creative Industries Journal,
3(3), 183-187.
MacWilliams, M. W. (2014). Japanese visual culture: Explorations in the world of manga and
anime. Routledge.
Miyao, D. (2012, January). Before anime: animation and the Pure Film Movement in pre-war
Japan. In Japan Forum (Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 191-209). Taylor & Francis.
Napier, S. J. (2016). Anime from Akira to Howl's moving castle: Experiencing contemporary
Japanese animation. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 46(7), 556-566.
Olivier, B. (2016). Visual encounters with nature, technology and community in Japanese anime
as “transitional objects”. South African Journal of Art History, 31(1), 1-19.
Raffaelli, L. (2017). Disney, Warner Bros. and Japanese Animation: Three World Views.
Articles by A Reader in Animation, 122.
